EU data show rise in solo households and pension shortfalls across member states

Eurostat figures reveal that 16.5% of EU residents lived alone last year, with the highest rates in Lithuania (31.4%), Finland (25.8%), Denmark (24.3%) and Estonia and Sweden (each 22%). At the low end, Slovakia recorded only 3% solo dwellers, followed by Ireland (8.1%) and Poland (9.2%). In Austria, 17.8% of the population – about 1.6 million people – lived alone, while Germany saw 20.9% (around 17.3 million) in single‑person households, representing 42.1% of all German households. Loneliness is most acute among seniors: over one‑third of those aged 65+ (34.4%) live alone, and among the over‑85s the share climbs to 55.8%. Larger cities have higher solo‑living rates than small towns.

A separate Datapulse study compared pension incomes with living costs in EU countries. Only four nations – Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland and Spain – provide pensions that exceed annual expenses, with surplus margins of 23% to 3% respectively. Luxembourg offers the highest average pension at €34,413, while Serbia’s is the lowest at €4,239. In Germany, the average pension of €19,100 falls short of typical expenses (€28,700), a gap of 33%. Most other EU states also see pensions insufficient to cover basic living costs.