One person households to increase by 53% in next 20 years

The number of one person households in the UK will increase by 53% to 9.9 million by 2026, according to new figures published today.

A report by Alliance & Leicester predicts 'living loners' will make up three quarters of the total annual household growth over the next two decades.

These trends are partly due to higher divorce rates, with separated couples living on their own again, but also because people are staying single for longer, and then getting married and having families later in their lives.

The number of married couple households is projected to fall over the next 20 years by an average of 34,000 every year.