Number of over-65s living alone has jumped since last census

Age Action head of advocacy and public affairs Celine Clarke said there is a misconception that adult children or other family members can do the heavy lifting when it comes to caring and looking out for older citizens. Picture: Moya Nolan

Nearly 190,000 people aged 65 or over in Ireland live alone, according to the latest data from Census 2022, of which more than 30,000 are over 85.

It is no surprise that people are living longer, but the number of citizens over 65 living on their own has risen massively in the past decade, while the gap between the numbers of women and men living alone is also significant.