In many countries, more and more people are deciding to not marry and have children but rather to live alone. What are the reasons for this? Does it have a positive or negative effect on wider society?

It is true that there are many countries where living alone without children or a partner is becoming more and more common. There are many reasons for this that mainly revolve around wider societal issues and the effects on society are largely negative. The family structure has evolved in the last fifty years. Whereas previously the family unit revolved around a man going out to work and a woman looking after the home and children, this structure is becoming increasingly outdated. Women have more opportunities in the workplace and often choose career before family, which is one reason for the rise in people living alone. Another reason is that, in the past, there was more of a sense of community but nowadays society is more fragmented, and meeting new people is not as easy as before. Therefore, many people just do not have the opportunity to find a partner. While those who are worried about overpopulation may see the rise in childless people living alone as a positive change, in my view the impact on society as a whole is negative. There are many countries with ageing populations that need young people to have children in order to pay for the care of these older generations. In addition, living alone may create a more isolated world. People need to feel loved, and this is best provided in a family unit. Without such close bonds, we may be creating generations that do not have a sense of belonging. To conclude, societal changes have seen a rise in people living on their own and remaining childless, but this is not a positive development. An aging population needs an increasingly large number of young people for financial support and those living alone are more likely to find themselves isolated and lonely.