Half of Belgians single by 2060

The number of singles in Belgium continues to grow. By 2060, half of all Belgian households will consist of one person, report the Mediahuis newspapers.

In 2016, only one in three households was single-person, according to the latest figures from the Federal Planning Bureau (FPB). "We can attribute the increase to two groups," says Dimitri Mortelmans, sociologist at the University of Antwerp. "There is an ageing population, made up of both older singles and widowers who want to keep living independently longer." The second group, according to Mortelmans, consists of “happy singles who like to live in bustling cities."

The FPB also points to a third group: single, divorced men between 30 and 50 years old. "These results provide food for thought," says Philippe Donnay of the FPB. "Housing and mobility policies should adapt to reflect this new trend."

"It is high time that policymakers keep single people in mind when making decisions,” agrees Flemish MP Rob Beenders. “It is no longer correct to think that the average family consists of mama, papa and two kids. Single people are still financially discriminated against and it has to stop.”