Finland is one of the countries in the European Union (EU) with the highest percentage of women living alone. And that trend is accentuated as old age arrives.
According to the latest data published by the statistical office of the EU (Eurostat), throughout the member states similar average shares of men and women aged 15-64 live alone (both 19%), in a couple (48% for men, 51% for women) and with another adult (not a couple) or more adults (33% for men, 30% for women).
However, differences are more visible among people aged 65 and over.
In the EU, four in ten women (40%) live alone compared to 19% of men. However, there are countries with higher percentages and Finland is in the top four.
Among the EU Member States, Latvia recorded the highest proportion of women aged 65 and over living alone (49%), followed by Slovenia and Germany (both 45%) as well as Finland and Czechia (both 44%).
In contrast, the lowest shares of women aged 65 or over living alone were registered in Estonia (26%) and Belgium (28%), followed by Spain and Cyprus (both 31%), Portugal (32%) and Denmark (33%).
These data refer to people living in private households, not in collective or institutional homes.
Eurostat says they might have been facing particular difficulties in daily life resulting from social isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
