South Korea Single-Person Households Hit by Rising Rent, Cut Food and Leisure

KB Financial Group's research institute released the "2026 Korean Single-Person Household Report" based on an online survey of 2,000 adults aged 25‑59 conducted from 25 February to 23 March. The study shows that single-person households devote about 39.3% of their monthly income to living expenses, 31.5% to loan repayment and 12.5% to savings. While the overall share of living expenses fell slightly, the proportion spent on rent and maintenance rose to 24.9% of monthly spending (up 2.2 percentage points), whereas food and leisure/shopping fell by 0.7 and 1.8 points respectively.

Nearly half (48.8%) of single-person households now live in rented accommodation, a 3.7‑point increase from 2024, and renters allocate 34.4% of their living budget to rent and fees, more than double the share for owners. Rent‑paying households also report higher late‑payment rates (10.7% overall, 25.6% among men in their 50s). Financial behaviour is shifting: the share of deposits and savings dropped, while holdings of domestic and overseas stocks, ETFs and virtual assets rose. Among renters with loans, 34% have invested borrowed money in financial products, averaging a debt‑funded investment of roughly KRW 30 million.