How do Germans live?

More than a third of people in Germany today live in a Singlehaushalt (single household), meaning they live alone in an apartment or a house. Single households are prevalent in big cities, and the trend is growing. Many of them are seniors, but also some young people and middle-aged people too. Some people prefer to live alone.

The second most common living arrangement is two people sharing a home. This includes couples, single parents with one child, or two people simply sharing an apartment. The third most common form is a household with three people – either two parents with one child, or one parent with two children.

In Germany, communal living has changed dramatically over time. Whereas there used to be a greater number of larger families, now job mobility and personal freedom have become more important. This has led to more individualism and more people living in cities. At the same time there are counter-trends, with alternative models of living like communes or "multi-generational" buildings, and people setting up their own styles of shared living.