Comparison of the Poverty Characteristics of Urban and Rural Single-Person Households

Abstract

In this article, we examine how the increase in single-person households, a representative change in family structure, affected poverty in urban and rural areas. In addition, we explore the necessary policies to alleviate poverty among single-person households in rural and urban areas. The rise in single-person households was particularly noticeable among individuals aged 65 and older in rural areas and among those aged 19 to 34 in urban areas. Income levels were lower for single-person households in rural areas than for single-person households in urban areas. As a result of increased public transfers, the disposable-income poverty rate decreased more than the market-income poverty rate in both urban and rural areas. We also examined changes in the poverty rate by age group, sex, and employment status and drew implications for group-specific poverty reduction policies.