The one‐person household in Latin America: A brief note

Abstract

PIP: Drawing from World Fertility Survey and UN Demographic Yearbook data, this short paper considers the prevalence and composition of 1-person households in selected countries of the world, with particular attention to Latin America and the United States. In descending order of prevalence, 1-person households are most prevalent in Western culture group countries, Southern and Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. The proportion of these households is in fact growing in both the U.S. and Europe, and is associated with a growing proportion of elderly in the population, and a growing tendency among young adults to leave their parents' homes before marriage. Accordingly, most 1-person households are comprised of those young and never-married, and old and formerly-married. Debate remains over whether this trend is primarily influenced by growing affluence or changing ideas. This pattern contrasts sharply with that observed in Latin America. There, a majority of elderly live in extended households, most youths reside at parents' home until marriage, and many middle-age adults live alone. This latter phenomenon may result from comparatively higher levels of marital disruption and migration. A larger proportion of 1-person householders are therefore outside of the 2 aforementioned majority groups observed in the U.S. In closing, the paper again observes the difference between the 2 patterns, yet fails to speculate upon whether the Latin American pattern will grow to resemble that found in the U.S. and Europe.