The bar chart illustrates the proportion of individuals who lived alone in 2004/2005, according to their gender and age.
Overall, older people, particularly women aged 65 and above were far more likely to live alone than younger age groups. Females made up by far the largest proportion of those living alone, while their male counterparts accounted for relatively smaller percentages across most age categories. In addition, the youngest age group for to both genders represented the smallest figure.
In terms of males, the rate of those living alone increased steadily with age. The youngest age group stood at 5%, while the 25-44, 45-64, and 65-74 age groups showed relatively similar percentages, at around 15%, 16%, and 17%, respectively. Meanwhile, the figure for men aged 75 and over was almost 27%.
Among females, the level of those living alone experienced a dramatic growth with age, starting from around 4% in the 16-24 age group and almost tripling among those aged 45-64. Moreover, elderly women comprised roughly 33% in the 65-74 age group and about 58% among the oldest age group, with the latter being nearly twice as high as that of their male counterparts.