 Answers to the first two questions may depend on personal taste or circumstances - but the answer to the third is important to help governments plan social policy and housing.
This is the reason why La Trobe University sociologist, Professor David de Vaus, has been allocated an ARC Discovery grant totalling $380,000 over five years to determine which Australians live alone, why, and the social, economic and infrastructural consequences.
'One of the major questions is whether the increase in the numbers of people living alone is a sign of social fragmentation and isolation, or whether it reflects new ways of forming relationships that are not based on households,' Professor de Vaus said.
A world specialist on how we live, Professor de Vaus, will supervise a three-stage investigation.
The first stage will examine existing census and survey data and the second will involve him and two PhD students, Ms Lixia Qu and Ms Jody Hughes, and others, interviewing hundreds of people who live alone.
The third stage will be a national survey of people living alone or who have lived alone, possibly part of the federal-government funded survey of Household, Income and Labour Dynamics Australia (HILDA) which has been going since 2001.
'Obviously there are many reasons why individuals live alone,' says Professor de Vaus who recently completed a report, Diversity and Change in Australian Families, launched late last year by the Minister for Family and Community Services, Senator Kay Patterson.
'These include the decrease or delays in partnering, the death of a partner, break-up of a relationship, young people leaving their parents' home, and those who simply like to live alone.
'There is another interesting category - those who have a partner but choose to live apart. This is known as the living-apart-together group and is a relatively new phenomenon which we believe exists mostly among those affluent enough to afford two residences.'
After analysing government and other information, Professor de Vaus and his team will visit hundreds of people who live alone to find out whether their situation is transitional or permanent, why they live alone and what types of social relationships they have.
'We know that in Western Europe, about one third of households have only one person. In Australia about a quarter of households have just one person and this is expected to grow to a third within the next 20 years. We also need to know the ratio of cases in which living alone is a preferred arrangement or has come about by force of circumstances.
'Another important question is whether living alone reflects the increasing trend in our society towards individualism.
'In determining the causes and consequences of the increase in living alone, the study will help identify those who are at risk and assist with effective targeting of support and interventions.
'It will also help governments to adopt realistic housing, building and social policies.'
Professor de Vaus expects the report Living Alone in Australia, will be completed by the end of 2009.
| 
