Survey on New Lifestyles and Human Relationships for Single-Person Households 2026
Able Holdings' 'Hitorigurashi Research Institute' conducted a survey on new lifestyles and human relationships for single-person households in 2026. It revealed that while about 70% of people in their 20s are proactive in relationships, about 80% feel stressed, and about 20% experience loneliness upon returning home.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 7, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 7, 2026 at 23:54 (12h 22m after Collected)
Able Holdings Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter referred to as Able Holdings), through its single-person household support brand 'Hitogura' and its specialized laboratory 'Hitorigurashi Research Institute' which conducts multifaceted research on single-person households, conducted the 'Survey on New Lifestyles and Human Relationships for Single-Person Households 2026'. The survey results are reported below.
## Survey on New Lifestyles and Human Relationships for Single-Person Households 2026
Survey Period: April 14 (Tue) - 15 (Wed), 2026
Valid Responses: 1,001 people *Varies by question
Survey Method: Internet survey
Target Audience: Men and women aged 20-44 living alone in Japan
### Survey Results Summary
1. Approximately 70% of men and women in their 20s are proactive in private interactions and daily small talk in school and workplace relationships.
2. Approximately 80% of men and women in their 20s are mindful of human relationships at school and work, the highest response rate across all generations.
3. Approximately 20% of men and women in their 20s living alone feel 'loneliness' upon returning home.
4. For stress relief methods among single-person households, easy in-home self-care such as 'gourmet food and alcohol' and 'bathing' is popular, while for those living with family, economic activities such as 'oshi-katsu' (supporting idols/characters) and 'shopping' are prominent, especially among women.
It is clear that over 70% of people in their 20s, both men and women, engage in deep communication, including about 30% who have 'private interactions' and those who 'engage in small talk'. This is the highest level across all generations. While people in their 40s tend to separate private and work relationships, treating them as 'just small talk', those in their 20s show a unique earnest attitude of not separating private life from school and work, approaching relationships as continuous. This highlights a dedicated stance unique to those in their 20s.
From the previous results, it was found that over 70% of men and women in their 20s build 'deep relationships involving private life and small talk', indicating a higher sense of belonging to a community compared to other generations. On the other hand, 28.5% of women in their 20s (the highest across all generations) and 20.0% of men in their 20s responded that they 'are very mindful' of human relationships at school and work. Including those who responded 'somewhat mindful', approximately 70-80% of men and women in their 20s feel daily mental exhaustion.
In new environments, the strong desire to 'connect deeply with others' means that people in their 20s pay a mental cost, such as excessively gauging others' reactions and making self-sacrificing considerations. The correlation between this 'proactiveness in relationship building' and 'severe mental fatigue' reveals the 'mental exhaustion' hidden behind the positive attitude of people in their 20s who are earnestly striving to create 'their place' in unfamiliar surroundings.
Nearly 90% of people in their 20s living with family feel relaxed at home, but approximately 20% of men and women in their 20s living alone feel 'loneliness' upon returning home, suggesting that their efforts outside strengthen their sense of isolation. Interestingly, among women in their 40s living alone, no one reported feeling 'loneliness', while among women in their 40s living with family, 8.7% responded 'feel very lonely', which is the highest response. This suggests that while younger single-person households are more prone to loneliness, they gradually learn how to cope with solitude and separate public and private life, leading to mental independence and maturity.
'Bathing' and 'gourmet food and alcohol' show high figures among single-person households, indicating a strong tendency to heal their minds with easy in-home self-care, undisturbed by anyone, to relieve fatigue accumulated at work or school. In contrast, those living with family, in addition to 'spending time with family', tend to refresh themselves by expending energy in the outside world through 'oshi-katsu' (67.6%) and 'shopping' (62.4%), especially among women. For single-person households who are mindful outside and prone to loneliness upon returning home, easy in-home self-care such as 'bathing time' and 'delicious meals' serves as a means to distract from loneliness and protect their minds. Meanwhile, those living with family appear to counteract stress through economic and active pursuits like 'shopping' and 'oshi-katsu'.
Through this survey, what was most striking was the 'earnest efforts' of people in their 20s starting new lives. Their attitude of trying to connect with others beyond the boundaries of work and school to quickly adapt to new environments is wonderful, but seeing that 70-80% feel 'mental fatigue' conveys how much they pay attention to their surroundings and wear down their nerves daily. And it is understandable that the more they strive outside, the more 'loneliness' accumulates when they return to their quiet single-person home.
However, what we want to focus on here is the figure of people in their 40s, who are seniors in single living. As they age, they strategically separate public and private life, and...
## Survey on New Lifestyles and Human Relationships for Single-Person Households 2026
Survey Period: April 14 (Tue) - 15 (Wed), 2026
Valid Responses: 1,001 people *Varies by question
Survey Method: Internet survey
Target Audience: Men and women aged 20-44 living alone in Japan
### Survey Results Summary
1. Approximately 70% of men and women in their 20s are proactive in private interactions and daily small talk in school and workplace relationships.
2. Approximately 80% of men and women in their 20s are mindful of human relationships at school and work, the highest response rate across all generations.
3. Approximately 20% of men and women in their 20s living alone feel 'loneliness' upon returning home.
4. For stress relief methods among single-person households, easy in-home self-care such as 'gourmet food and alcohol' and 'bathing' is popular, while for those living with family, economic activities such as 'oshi-katsu' (supporting idols/characters) and 'shopping' are prominent, especially among women.
It is clear that over 70% of people in their 20s, both men and women, engage in deep communication, including about 30% who have 'private interactions' and those who 'engage in small talk'. This is the highest level across all generations. While people in their 40s tend to separate private and work relationships, treating them as 'just small talk', those in their 20s show a unique earnest attitude of not separating private life from school and work, approaching relationships as continuous. This highlights a dedicated stance unique to those in their 20s.
From the previous results, it was found that over 70% of men and women in their 20s build 'deep relationships involving private life and small talk', indicating a higher sense of belonging to a community compared to other generations. On the other hand, 28.5% of women in their 20s (the highest across all generations) and 20.0% of men in their 20s responded that they 'are very mindful' of human relationships at school and work. Including those who responded 'somewhat mindful', approximately 70-80% of men and women in their 20s feel daily mental exhaustion.
In new environments, the strong desire to 'connect deeply with others' means that people in their 20s pay a mental cost, such as excessively gauging others' reactions and making self-sacrificing considerations. The correlation between this 'proactiveness in relationship building' and 'severe mental fatigue' reveals the 'mental exhaustion' hidden behind the positive attitude of people in their 20s who are earnestly striving to create 'their place' in unfamiliar surroundings.
Nearly 90% of people in their 20s living with family feel relaxed at home, but approximately 20% of men and women in their 20s living alone feel 'loneliness' upon returning home, suggesting that their efforts outside strengthen their sense of isolation. Interestingly, among women in their 40s living alone, no one reported feeling 'loneliness', while among women in their 40s living with family, 8.7% responded 'feel very lonely', which is the highest response. This suggests that while younger single-person households are more prone to loneliness, they gradually learn how to cope with solitude and separate public and private life, leading to mental independence and maturity.
'Bathing' and 'gourmet food and alcohol' show high figures among single-person households, indicating a strong tendency to heal their minds with easy in-home self-care, undisturbed by anyone, to relieve fatigue accumulated at work or school. In contrast, those living with family, in addition to 'spending time with family', tend to refresh themselves by expending energy in the outside world through 'oshi-katsu' (67.6%) and 'shopping' (62.4%), especially among women. For single-person households who are mindful outside and prone to loneliness upon returning home, easy in-home self-care such as 'bathing time' and 'delicious meals' serves as a means to distract from loneliness and protect their minds. Meanwhile, those living with family appear to counteract stress through economic and active pursuits like 'shopping' and 'oshi-katsu'.
Through this survey, what was most striking was the 'earnest efforts' of people in their 20s starting new lives. Their attitude of trying to connect with others beyond the boundaries of work and school to quickly adapt to new environments is wonderful, but seeing that 70-80% feel 'mental fatigue' conveys how much they pay attention to their surroundings and wear down their nerves daily. And it is understandable that the more they strive outside, the more 'loneliness' accumulates when they return to their quiet single-person home.
However, what we want to focus on here is the figure of people in their 40s, who are seniors in single living. As they age, they strategically separate public and private life, and...