Number of Scots living alone set to soar

THE number of Scots living alone is poised to soar in the coming decades, official figures have today shown.

In 2037, it is projected that there will be 46,100 men over the age of 85 living alone. Picture: TSPL

The ageing population is largely behind the rise, with more and more older people living in solitude, according to the national Records of Scotland.

In 2037, it is projected that there will be 46,100 men over the age of aged 85 living alone in Scotland, and 108,000 women.

Tim Ellis, the Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland, said: “The number of households in Scotland is projected to grow by nearly 400,000 over the next 25 years.

“Scotland’s population is growing, but the number of households is increasing faster, due to changes in the types of households people are living in, and the ageing population.”

The total number of households in Scotland is projected to increase by a sixth over the next 25 years to 2.78 million, according to the Registers of Scotland figures.

Nearly a quarter of people aged 16 or over are projected to live alone by 2037, compared to about one in five in 2012.