Death sparks discussion on solo living

The death of a 46-year-old single woman in Shanghai has sparked public discussion about end-of-life arrangements for China's growing population of people who live alone.

The woman, surnamed Jiang, lived by herself, had no spouse or children, and lost both parents. After suffering a cerebral hemorrhage in October, she was cared for by a distant relative before her death in December.

Her case drew attention after local authorities encountered difficulties locating next of kin to make key medical decisions and handle funeral arrangements.

On Dec 24, the Hongkou district civil affairs bureau was appointed Jiang's estate administrator by a local court after it determined that she had no legal heirs and had left neither a will nor a support agreement.

Under China's Civil Code, estates with no heirs or designated beneficiaries become state or collective property for public welfare purposes. The law stipulates that civil affairs departments or village committees in the deceased's place of residence serve as estate administrators in such cases.

"The right to life encompasses dignity in death," Gao Mingyue, a member of the Shanghai Bar Association, told Legal Weekly. "While estate administrators have an obligation to safeguard the dignity of funeral arrangements, specific standards need to be clarified through national legislation."

The case reflects broader demographic changes in Chinese society. National census data show that single-person households rose from 58 million in 2010 to 125 million in 2020, accounting for 25.4 percent of all households.

According to the Beike Research Institute, a property information and analysis platform, China's solo-living population could reach between 150 million and 200 million by 2030. The number of adults aged 20 to 39 living alone is expected to increase from 18 million in 2010 to between 40 million and 70 million by 2030.

The growing prevalence of solo living has heightened concerns over end-of-life arrangements, particularly responsibility for funeral services and the distribution of estates.

Shi Hui, general manager of Shanghai-based BDR funeral services with 13 years of industry experience, said she has seen a rise over the past three years in cases involving people with limited social connections.

"Most cases we handle involve elderly individuals," she said. "For those without family, community committees typically arrange basic ceremonies using a 1,000-yuan funeral package."

The package refers to a government-led or institution-backed affordable funeral service designed to meet basic needs through simplified services at a fixed price, usually about 1,000 yuan ($142).

"Many people avoid thinking about funeral arrangements earlier in life due to traditional taboos," Shi said. "With death education still lacking, we believe death needs to be rehearsed through advance planning and preparation."

At the same time, awareness of estate planning is growing, according to the China Will Registration Center's 2024 white paper.

By the end of 2024, the organization had provided will consultations to more than 570,000 people and registered 357,512 wills. The average age of will-makers dropped from 77.43 to 67.71.

Among will-makers aged 60 and above, empty-nesters — parents whose children have grown and moved away from home — accounted for 60.28 percent of registrations in 2024, with Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province altogether representing more than 77 percent of cases.

The designation of estate administrators has also become more common, with 61.47 percent of wills naming a specific administrator. While 84.29 percent selected relatives or friends, the share of nonfamilial individuals or institutions rose by 2.91 percent from 2023.

Unmarried individuals registering wills showed distinct patterns. Of the 2,618 unwed will-makers, more than 80 percent were under age 60 and largely well-educated. Their main motivations included providing for parents, while 8 percent chose to donate their assets to charity.