Future Household Trends That Will Shape Singapore’s HDB Market

Megan Soo
Nov 28, 2025
3 min read

Singapore’s housing landscape is changing—quietly, steadily, and more significantly than many realise. While the number of people living in HDB flats continues to grow, the way Singaporeans are living is shifting. The trends in the HDB market are showing household sizes are shrinking, single-person households are rising, and more singles are choosing to buy their own homes instead of staying with family.

a graph showing trends in household composition

All these trends point to one thing: the future HDB market will look very different from the past.

Here’s what the latest HDB Sample Household Survey reveals—and why it matters for homeowners, buyers, and investors.

1. Household Sizes Are Shrinking Faster Than Expected

The average HDB household size has dipped to 3.0 persons in 2023/24, down from 3.1 in 2018 and 3.5 in 2003.

This may seem like a small numerical change, but it has huge implications:

Smaller families need fewer bedrooms
Demand for 2- and 3-room flats will rise
Multi-gen flats may grow slower than expected
Developers and policymakers must rethink space planning

Singapore’s ageing population and later marriages are accelerating the trend.

2. 1-Person Households Now Make Up 1 in 6 HDB Homes

One of the most striking shifts is the rise of single-person households, which climbed from:

8.4% in 2013
12.6% in 2018
15.6% today

This means 1 in 6 HDB households now consist of a single occupant.

Who are these singles?

Seniors aged 65+ (about half of all 1-person households)
Young working adults aged 21–54
Individuals who prefer independence over marriage or co-living

This trend will continue to grow sharply as more seniors age in place and more young adults seek privacy and autonomy.

3. Seniors Prefer to “Age in Place” Rather Than Move

Even though seniors may need help with daily living, most prefer to remain in their existing flats. Only a small group intends to right-size, mainly for easier maintenance.

Expect:

Continued demand for elderly-friendly upgrades
Stronger resale prices for elder-friendly layouts
Higher support for community care apartments (CCAs)

For investors: senior-heavy estates will have stable demand.

4. Young Singles Want Their Own Homes — Not Rentals or Shared Living

Among singles planning to move:

72.3% intend to buy their own home
Most prefer a new flat rather than a resale one
Affordability and “newer living environments” are top considerations

With the opening of 2-room Flexi flats to singles across Standard, Plus, and Prime projects since Oct 2024, demand from singles will surge further.

This is one of the most important demographic shifts for future HDB planning.

5. Family-Based Households Still Dominate—but Are Declining

Family households still make up 86.6%, but this is down from 91.3% in 2003.

More singles, fewer children, and later marriages point to:

Slower demand for larger 5-room flats
Strong sustained demand for 3-room and 4-room units
More flexible layouts needed for hybrid lifestyles (work-from-home, caregiver spaces)

The HDB market will increasingly be a mix of traditional families and single-occupant households.

6. Policy Changes Are Already Reflecting These Trends

HDB is actively adjusting supply to match demographic needs:

2-room Flexi flats now accessible to singles across all BTO categories
Family Care Scheme (Proximity) encourages singles to live near parents
Joint Balloting Scheme allows parents and singles to apply for nearby flats
Upcoming Prime/Plus adjustments aim to keep locations affordable for diverse profiles