Trends of living alone in Hong Kong: Social changes and demographic patterns

Living alone arrangement is on the rise globally. Some scholars took this phenomenon as the evidence of the rise of individualism and the decline of family institution. Yet, our understanding on the current rising trend of living alone is limited. Many questions remained unanswered for years despite more and more people are living alone in Hong Kong in the recent decades. Who are living alone? How fast is the increase in the rate of living alone in Hong Kong? How does the situation compared with other social contexts? Will the rising trend continue for the coming years? In this seminar, I will present the preliminary findings from my research project in which I have analyzed Hong Kong Census micro-data from 1981-2011. I will compare the importance of several demographic factors behind the rising trend of solo-living in Hong Kong, and explore the Age-Cohort-Period (APC) patterns.