THE number of people living on their own is set to rise by 53% over the next 20 years, a report claimed yesterday. Research from Alliance & Leicester Mortgages found that "living loners" will total 9.9m by 2026, as more and more people around the country opt for asolitary home life. The figure is up from an estimated 6.6mone-person households recorded in 2003 and represents an increase of around 150,000 a year. Over the same period, the number of married couple households is set to fall to 8.8m from 9.m, areduction of 34,000 every year. As aresult of the increase in living loners, the average household size is set to diminish over the next two decades. In 2003, the average size of households was recorded at 2.34 people, but by 2026 this will drop to 2.1. The changing shape of society will prompt a change in the house-building sector, according to Alliance and Leicester. More than 200,000 extra properties are needed each year to cope with the increasing number of households, with three-quarters of homes set aside for living loners. Stephen Leonard, director of mortgages at Alliance &Leicester, said: "Our report shows that demand for housing will increase over the next 20 years. "Interestingly,the pressure will come from the changing make-up of households, as we see more people living on their own and the concept of the traditional family home steadily being eroded." He added: "We can expect to see an increase in flats and converted houses in the future due to the rise in the one person household, as understandably, people living on their own will be less likely to splash out on larger property." London and the South East are predicted to see the greatest boom in the number of households by 2026, with both averaging an increase of just over 36,000 a year. At the other end of the scale, the North East should only see an increase of an additional 5,300 new households ayear, the report noted. | 
