SINGLE person households are set to become the most common type of home in Scotland over the next 25 years, driven by a surge in the number of elderly people living alone.
The latest forecast from the National Registers of Scotland said single-person homes would grow from 36 to 41 per cent of all households by 2041.
In Glasgow, the number of single-person homes is expected to hit 50 per cent.
Two-person households across Scotland are expected to stay around 32 per cent over the same period, as large households with children fall from 18 to 14 per cent.
While the population of Scotland is expected to grow by 5 per cent to 5.69m, the number of households is expected to grow much faster, by 13 per cent to 2.76m.
The key driver is Scotland’s ageing population, with a 66 per cent rise in the over-70s by 2041.
The number of homes headed by someone below 70 is due to grow 2 per cent in this period, but the number headed by someone over 70 will grow by 58 per cent.
Likely outcomes include more problems with loneliness and higher demand for social care.
In 1961, the average house size in Scotland was just over three people, but has fallen steadily, to 2.17 in 2016, and is now projected to be 2.02 people by 2041.
The number of over-70s living on their own is set to rise by 49 per cent, with the biggest increase among men, as their life expectancy improves.
The number of men over 70 living alone is forecast to almost double from 76,300 to 146,500, while the number of women rises 32 per cent to 247,400.
The figures also confirmed greater Edinburgh as Scotland’s population growth hotspot, adding to fears about runaway house price inflation.
The number of households in Midlothian, East Lothian and Edinburgh are expected to grow by 36, 26 and 26 per cent respectively by 2041.
Most councils will see smaller rises, but Na h-Eileanan Siar, Inverclyde, Argyll & Bute, and North Ayrshire are set to shrink by six, five, two and one per cent.
Delia Henry, of Age Scotland, said the figures should act as “a wakeup call” to government and councils across the country about the challenges ahead.
She said: “Scotland is ageing to a greater extent than the rest of the UK and over the next twenty years almost a third of all Scots will be over 60, increasing to almost 1.8m.
“Quite frankly, Scotland isn’t building enough homes to meet our rapidly ageing population. These need to include different sizes, type, tenure and locations.
“We know older people wish to remain living independently in their own home in later life and adapt it to suit their needs rather than moving elsewhere.
“It is important that the Scottish Government embed the housing needs of older people, particularly older single people, within the planning system.”
Acting Registrar General Anne Slater said: “The figures published by National Records of Scotland show a projected 317,000 extra households in Scotland in 2041 compared to 2016.
“Older people are more likely to live alone than younger people, and as more people live alone or in smaller households, the number of households will rise at a faster rate than the population."
The statistics are based on long-term population and housing trends up to 2016, and do not factor in government policies such as Brexit.
With Scotland’s population growth wholly reliant on inward migration, the SNP said the latest figures underlined the need for Holyrood to control immigration in order to boost the number of working age taxpayers needed to support services for the elderly.
SNP MSP Angela Constance said: “These latest stats make it abundantly clear we need powers over migration now in order to protect our public services and NHS.
“Migrants and population growth will play a key part in growing Scotland’s economy and allowing us to compete with other successful small independent countries.
“We need to develop our own migration system to attract more people to live and work here – it’s time the UK government gave us the ability to do just that.”
The Scottish LibDems called for more homeshare schemes to match elderly or disabled people with extra rooms with lodgers who could help out.
MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “The steep jump in household number projections calls for creative solutions. I’ve lauded the benefits of homeshare schemes before, pairing people with empty rooms in elderly households has the potential to ease strains on the social care system and hugely benefit both parties.
“There are plenty of older people who would welcome the company of a lodger, and an ample supply of people in need of reasonably priced housing.
“I want the Minister for Housing to back Lib Dem calls for a National Care and Accommodation Exchange, which would match people who are willing to give 10 hours a week of support to vulnerable residents with accommodation.
“It’s a win-win way to address the plague of loneliness that is affecting thousands of older Scots and make swift and efficient use of existing housing stock.”
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