The Increasing Trend of Living Alone among Belgian Elderly: The Impact of the S.D.T. (1991-2009)

Anne Herm, Tallinn University

The expected impact of the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) to the elderly population is increasing proportions of persons living alone either by own choice or due to life circumstances. Considering the whole Belgian population (3.7 millions of persons aged 50+) observed through the continuous population registration system during the period from 1991 to 2009, we analyse trends in the proportion of those living alone. We consider distinctly never married, divorced and widowed persons and compared trends for men and women separately. The first conclusions show that in relation with the SDT the proportions of those living alone increased largely for both sexes and all ages. Nevertheless changes in the proportion of those living alone are more evident for men compared to women with a narrowing gender gap and that is particularly true for those never married. Further investigations are considering the transitions in living arrangement that could expect those increases.