After 60, living in a couple is the most common lifestyle for both sexes. A result of the decrease in widowhood and the increase in de factopartnerships, this type of household has become more common in the past few decades. However, due to the increase in divorce, men aged 60 are an exception and enter old age less often with a partner. While the proportions of men and women living in couples
... [Show full abstract] have become slightly more even across the censuses, living alone remains one of the key characteristics of women: between 75 and 90, approximately one woman on two lives alone, which is two to three times the rate for their male counterparts. The proportion of people living alone has risen steadily over time as living with relatives has declined. In 1962, living with relatives was the second most common lifestyle after living in a couple; now living alone comes second. Finally, the unpopularity of institutionalisation before 85 is another reason for this increase in living independently; the proportion of people living in collective households has only increased beyond age 85.
