Silver & Self-Reliant

At 68, Mrs. Lee Ai Eng lives alone in her two-room flat in Ang Mo Kio. It’s quiet, but not lonely. “I don't want to burden my kids,” she says. “They’ve got their lives and I like my peace.”

Her children still visit regularly, but she values having her own space. “I raised my kids to be independent,” she smiles. “Now it’s my turn.”

Stories like hers are becoming more common, quietly challenging Singapore’s tradition of multigenerational living.

According to the Singapore Department of Statistics, the number of seniors aged 65 to 69 living alone has more than tripled — from 8,300 in 2010 to 30,000 in 2024.

What’s driving this shift?

“A lot of it has to do with changing family structures,” says Mr. Malcolm Ravindran, Senior Research Assistant at the Centre for Ageing Research & Education, Duke-NUS. “The roles of seniors in the household have dramatically shifted. It’s not so much an elective choice… but more so a circumstance that reflects a larger societal shift.”

Housing policies are playing a role too. Initiatives by the Housing & Development Board (HDB) like the 2-Room Flexi Scheme and Community Care Apartments offer seniors affordable, right-sized homes with senior-friendly features and on-site support. These options let seniors live independently, without being isolated.

Mrs. Lee moved into her unit two years ago. She used to live in a five-room flat, but decided it was time to downsize after her husband passed. “I don’t need a big house. Cleaning is much easier now. I can manage better,” she says. 

Far from isolated, Mrs. Lee keeps an active social life — sharing breakfast with friends at the nearby market or playing mahjong at a neighbour’s flat. This blend of independence and community is becoming the new normal.

“Seniors continue to want to meet the same people, because they've formed so much of a life with them,” says Mr. Ravindran. “Even if it’s far, they would want to continue to maintain those relationships.”

Still, living alone is not for everyone. Some seniors lose close connections when they are forced to move due to redevelopment or when health issues limit mobility. “Not all networks can transcend physical location,” he cautions. “So some social networks erode.”

In a CNA commentary, it was noted that “a significant percentage of older Singaporeans who are living in multigenerational households report being sometimes or mostly lonely” — showing that loneliness has more to do with emotional connection than living arrangements. 

So why are those in the 65-69 age group leading this trend?

Mr. Ravindran believes they are more adaptable. “Their information and health literacy is high. Their community exists outside of a physical space.”

Ultimately, this signals a cultural reset. “Seniors now can adopt [the idea of living alone] because they don’t need to be part of that nuclear family system in physical proximity anymore,” he says. “And neither do the younger family members necessarily require their older person to be there.”

Mrs. Lee puts it simply: “I’m not lonely. I’m just living differently.”