The bar chart compares the proportions of people in Great Britain who lived alone in 2004/05, according to their age and gender.
Overall, older people, particularly women aged over 65, were far more likely to live alone than younger age groups. While females made up by far the largest proportion of those living alone, their male counterparts accounted for relatively smaller percentages across most age categories. Another notable point is that those aged 16-24 represented the only group where the figures for both genders were minimal.
Among females, the proportion of those living alone increased steadily with age. The lowest figure, at around 5%, was recorded among women aged 16-24, while the percentages for the 25-44 and 45-64 age groups were similar, at between 10% and 15%. The share of women aged 65-74 who lived on their own was just over 30%, and the most significant proportion was observed among those aged 75 and over, with nearly 60% living independently, making this by far the largest figure in that year and considerably higher than that for men.
Males, on the other hand, showed a more consistent pattern. Only about 4% of men aged 16-24 lived alone. Those aged between 25 and 74 shared relatively similar proportions, each accounting for around 17%, while the figure for men aged 75 and over was almost 30%, roughly half that of their female counterparts.