'Loneliness' in China is now a $1 trillion 'singles economy' in the world's second most populous country with 1.4 billion people

For years, living alone in China was often viewed as a temporary phase before marriage and family life. That is changing. A growing number of Chinese consumers are choosing, or finding themselves able, to live alone for longer. They eat alone, travel alone, order individual meals, keep pets and increasingly turn to entertainment and technology for company.

The shift is creating a huge new consumer market. According to Chinese research firm Discovery Reports, China's singles economy was worth more than $1 trillion in 2025, about 50% higher than in 2023. The trend is not limited to China. Japan and South Korea are also seeing more people live alone as birth rates decline and younger consumers rethink traditional milestones such as marriage, children and home ownership.

Why more Chinese people are living alone

China's younger generations are growing up amid changing social expectations and rising costs associated with housing and raising children. At the same time, services designed specifically for individuals have made solo living easier. Meals and groceries can be delivered in portions for one, while entertainment, travel and leisure businesses increasingly offer products that do not require a partner or group.


For people living alone, however, convenience does not necessarily mean that loneliness has disappeared. Singles economy are throwing up examples like death of pets leaving people with pain and more deep desires to remain single for the rest of the life.

Businesses are building products for one

The growth of single-person households has opened up opportunities across China's consumer economy. Mini karaoke booths, sometimes no larger than old-fashioned telephone booths, allow people to sing without needing a group. At tourist destinations, solo travellers can hire hiking partners, sightseeing companions or photographers.

Entertainment is another major part of the market. Consumers living alone are spending on video games, streaming services, AI companions and micro-dramas, a rapidly expanding format in China in which episodes can run for less than two minutes.

Single consumers may spend more on themselves

Living alone can be more expensive because there is no partner or family member with whom to share household costs. But researchers say that single consumers can also devote a larger share of their spending to themselves.

A 2024 study by Ming-Hsuan Lee and Wei-Ling Lai, published in the Journal of Asian Economics, found that people living alone face higher per-person household costs because they cannot share expenses with other family members. At the same time, single-person households had greater per-capita spending on several categories the researchers described as “treating oneself well.” The study was based on Taiwan's Survey of Family Income and Expenditure from 2011 to 2021.

That creates an interesting economic shift. A household with one person may not buy products in bulk, but that consumer can spend on experiences and services designed around individual preferences.

Pets become part of the singles economy

Pets have also become an important part of the changing lifestyle. According to reports, single consumers are increasingly travelling with their pets and buying luxury products for them. Chinese households have twice as many toddlers as pets in 2017, but that the ratio is expected to reverse by 2030. For some people, pets are more than another household expense. They provide companionship.

The other side of the singles economy

The growth of services for people living alone also raises questions about what happens as China's population ages. Many Chinese families traditionally relied on multiple generations living together, with children often expected to help care for elderly parents. A larger population of people without spouses or children could change that arrangement.

China's ageing population is already creating another major market. Chinese state media estimates that the country's so-called “silver economy” could exceed $4 trillion by 2035, with businesses developing technology and services aimed at older consumers. Technology is already being used to address concerns around people living alone. One check-in app for people living by themselves became popular in China with the stark name “Are You Dead?”, reflecting anxiety around elderly or isolated people who may not have someone nearby to check on them.

From celebrating singles to a $200 billion shopping festival

China's Singles' Day offers another window into how being single has become part of the country's consumer culture. Celebrated on November 11, the day began as an informal occasion for unmarried people, with the four ones in 11/11 representing single individuals. The tradition was transformed into a commercial event in 2009, when Alibaba began promoting major shopping discounts around the date. Other e-commerce platforms, including JD.com and Pinduoduo, later joined in.

What started as a day for singles to treat themselves has since become one of China's biggest retail events. The shopping period has expanded from 24 hours into a weeks-long sales campaign. In 2024, consumers spent about 1.44 trillion yuan, or roughly $202 billion, during the Singles' Day shopping period, according to data provider Syntun cited by Reuters.

The festival is no longer limited to products associated with young or single consumers. Shoppers use it to buy everything from household goods and electronics to cosmetics, clothing and everyday necessities. Research from NielsenIQ found that 61% of surveyed Chinese consumers who shopped during Singles' Day 2022 said stocking up on daily essentials was a key reason, while 62% said they were looking for inexpensive, cost-effective products.

That makes Singles' Day a useful example of how a cultural idea around single life has evolved into a much broader consumer phenomenon. The connection to China's singles economy is therefore more about the festival's origins and symbolism than about every dollar spent being generated by people who live alone.

China could become a testing ground for the solo economy

The scale of China's consumer market means businesses have an incentive to develop products specifically for people living alone. Some of those trends are already visible outside China. AI companions and short-form dramas have gained audiences in the US, while businesses are experimenting with products aimed at solo diners.

For China's singles, modern services can make independent living easier than it was for previous generations. But the question of what happens later in life remains. Living alone is no longer simply about having no one around. An expanding ecosystem of businesses is being built around the needs, spending habits and choices of people who live by themselves. And in China, that market has already grown into a trillion-dollar economy.