Bengaluru: Seventy-eight-year-old Elizabeth Nirmala Kumari has been living alone—and comfortably—in Bengaluru for the past 40 years. Her daughter lives in Canada and her son in the UK, but Elizabeth refuses to leave her city. “I won’t trade Bengaluru’s weather and neighbourhood for anything else,” she says. “I know the shopkeepers nearby and can speak my language. In Canada or the UK, even basic tasks need assistance and long drives.”
Elizabeth occasionally visits her children abroad, but always returns. “There’s no place like home,” she says, recalling a recent solo trip to Canada. “The fall was beautiful, but then it started snowing. It was slippery, and I wasn’t comfortable. I enjoyed the white, soft snow—but Bengaluru suits me better.”
Her story reflects a growing trend: one-person households (OPHs), especially among the elderly in urban India. The 2011 Census showed that OPHs made up 3.7% of Indian households. In contrast, cities like Berlin, Stockholm, and Oslo report over 50% of households as single-person, according to publicly available data.
Premchand Dommaraju, a demography expert and associate professor at Nanyang Technologi – cal University in Singapore, notes that India has historically had fewer OPHs due to strong family ties rooted in marriage. Yet, he projects that in the coming decades, India could rank fourth globally in OPH numbers, after the USA, China, and Japan.
Why more people live alone
Several factors contribute to this shift: spousal death, work-related migration, and a growing number of individuals choosing not to marry.
Elizabeth, a retired teacher, emphasises the social support she receives locally. “I am a part of various activities in the church. I find time to meet my relatives and they too visit me. As long as I’m healthy, I’d prefer to live in Bengaluru,” she says. She had a heart surgery a few years ago and she promptly follows up all her hospital appointments.
Being a constant learner has really helped Elizabeth when it comes to digital literacy. She uses a smartphone confidently, and is even cautious about tech overuse: “Kids say they use phones to study, but we don’t know if that’s true.”
Elizabeth’s concerns extend beyond herself. “Not everyone is lucky. Some elderly people are sent to old-age homes. Living alone in Bengaluru is not easy. The level of ease depends on where you stay.”
Agnes Rose, 92, has lived alone in the city since her husband passed away 15 years ago. A retired govt officer from the social welfare department, she served in multiple Karnataka towns before settling in Bengaluru. “Work taught me to live independently,” she says. After a stroke limited her mobility, she finds connection by chatting with neighbours from her doorstep. Agnes misses walking around and she stopped cooking. Her relatives now bring her meals.
Clinical psychologist Farisha ATP points out that while loneliness is a risk, social engagement can buffer negative effects. “Maintaining ties with friends, joining communities, or staying connected with family helps. Seniors should also have access to regular healthcare and mental health support.”
Interestingly, research suggests that older adults living alone manage stress better than younger ones in similar situations—a point that deserves more study.
Young adults and the marriage question
The rise in OPHs is not limited to the elderly. Younger adults, especially women, are choosing solitude over traditional domestic arrangements.
Gowthami T, a 25-year-old senior DV engineer in KR Puram, moved to Bengaluru for work. She owns a flat and lives alone. “It’s peaceful. No drama, no justifications. I’ve lived in hostels and PGs before, but this suits me best.”
Despite her achievements, she faces judgment for remaining unmarried. “Nobody praises me for buying a flat or having a good job. But they ask why I’m not married.” She adds, “Marriage isn’t appealing to me. Society is judgemental, but I’m happy socialising with meaningful people and hitting the gym.”
“You’ll not get any creepy stares in Bengaluru,” says Gowthami, who finds Bengaluru safer than other cities.
Living alone offers freedom—from obligations, expectations, and domestic conflicts. Studies show solitude can foster creativity, autonomy, and even spirituality.
Prathik Desai, a writer for a crypto newsletter, chose solo living for similar reasons. “Cleanliness matters to me. It’s hard to find like-minded flatmates,” he says. Originally from a rural area, Prathik moved to Bengaluru seven years ago for education and stayed on for work.
He doesn’t oppose companionship: “I don’t subscribe to the ritualistic idea of marriage because it would involve a lot of money, time and effort. However, I don’t plan to stay alone in the long term. Would love to live a life with my partner.” He admits that managing finances alone in a big city can be tough.
Risks and reflections
Psychologist Farisha says that besides the perks, choosing to be a one person household comes with its perils too.She says that in the digital world, it’s common for people to be confined to one’s own space. “There is a high likelihood that existing social ties and in-person connections can be loosened, leading to social isolation, and people are moving away from the strong bond in the need for autonomy. There is also a chance that people can have undiagnosed social anxiety,” she says
To tackle this, she suggests building resilience, enhancing mental health literacy, and staying connected—even in solitude.
She also sees hope: “In a patriarchal society, more women managing life independently is a strong sign of progress.”
Dommaraju argues that more research into Indian OPHs is urgently needed. He says that research on the changes in Indian society including demographic changes such as lower fertility, increasing longevity, and internal migration as well as socio-cultural changes such as changing attitudes and behaviour, might lead to the formation of an even larger number of OPHs in the near future, making the study of such households both necessary and timely.
Dommaraju’s research on Indian OPHs focused on the demographic, social and economic characteristics of these households. “There isn’t enough current data,” he says. “We’re relying on old census figures. India needs a new census to understand emerging social patterns.”
Looking ahead
A 2022 article titled ‘Changing Patterns of One-Person and One-Couple-Only Households in India’ projected that 4% of Indian households were OPHs in 2015–16. This is expected to rise to 5.5% by 2030 and 6.7% by 2050. As social norms shift and individuals prioritise personal freedom, OPHs are likely to grow across India—especially in urban centres like Bengaluru.
One-Person vs Single-Person Households
Premchand Dommaraju clarifies that “one-person household” refers to anyone living alone—regardless of marital status. In contrast, “single-person household” typically implies someone unmarried and living alone, with no roommates or partners.
Just in case: You got an app, two helplines and safety islands
Bengaluru City Police, in collaboration with Nightingales Medical Trust, has been taking proactive steps to help citizens in general and elderly in particular, when faced with distressing and vulnerable situations.
One such effort is the Karnataka State Police (KSP) app, which enables citizens to alert the police using audio-visual features supported by geolocation. Additionally, emergency response towers called “safety islands” have been installed at 50 locations across the city, with police personnel stationed to respond to any distress calls.
The police also operate the 112 emergency number, which receives between 1,200 to 2,000 calls daily. It is the national Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) number and in Bengaluru, 112 is the single emergency response number for police, fire, ambulance, and other emergency services. “Response teams typically arrive at the incident site within 8 to 10 minutes,” says city police commissioner B Dayananda. The KSP app, which replaced the previous Suraksha app, has not yet seen as many distress alerts as the emergency helpline.
In a bid to boost digital literacy and cyber safety among senior citizens, the police have partnered with Nightingales Medical Trust to conduct awareness sessions. These classes are part of wider outreach programmes, including monthly “Police Connect” events in public spaces usually conducted on the 4th Saturday of the month, live-streamed for wider participation.
The Elders Helpline 1090, a joint project of Bengaluru City Police and Nightingales Medical Trust, is a critical part of this support ecosystem. Staffed by a team of 3–4 counselors along with a police official, the helpline receives around 30–40 written or phone complaints daily. It addresses a wide range of issues, from emotional and financial abuse to threats from landlords or relatives.
One recent case involved a 72-year-old woman living alone in a rented house. Her son had borrowed money and vanished, leaving her to face threats and harassment from a moneylender. Distressed and unable to locate her son, she reached out to the helpline. The team not only arranged for temporary police protection but also connected her to an organisation offering groceries and medical support. With police help, she was eventually able to shift to a new residence.
In another instance, a couple in their seventies living in an apartment faced harassment from a neighbour over parking issues. The neighbor had damaged their car and even physically assaulted one of them. The elders sought help through the helpline and the local police. A counselor and police official made a home visit, warned the neighbour, and within two months, the troublemaker vacated the building.
Swati Bhandary, associate director at Nightingales Medical Trust, says the NGO began its work with the elderly in the late 1990s, particularly in areas like Malleswaram where many seniors were left alone as their children moved abroad. Rather than directing elders to old age homes, Nightingale started enrichment centres—safe spaces where elderly citizens could engage in conversation, form friendships, and find emotional support.
Initially focused on middle-class and upper-middle-class seniors, the organisation gradually extended its services to underprivileged communities. In 2002, at the invitation of the then city police commissioner, the NGO started the Elders Helpline inside the commissioner’s office premises, formalising its partnership with the police. The ongoing collaboration has since become a vital lifeline for thousands of senior citizens across Bengaluru.