Living alone is more common in Lithuania than anywhere else in the EU: how it is reshaping homes

The number of people living alone in Lithuania is growing – in 2025, households consisting of one adult without children accounted for almost two-thirds of all households. Marijonas Chmieliauskas, Sales Director at real estate company Realco, notes that this trend is also changing housing needs: smaller but well-planned apartments are becoming increasingly relevant. So how should they be designed to ensure there is enough storage space without compromising the sense of spaciousness, and that a smaller home is just as functional as a larger one? 

According to Eurostat, the share of single-person households in Lithuania increased from around 43% to 63% between 2016 and 2025. This means that households consisting of one adult without children account for almost two-thirds of all households in Lithuania – it is the highest share in the European Union. The EU average stood at around 38% in 2025, while the number of such households increased by approximately 19% over nine years. 

“As the number of people living alone grows, smaller homes are becoming relevant to an increasingly broad range of buyers. However, this is not the only factor driving demand – one and two-room apartments are also often purchased as investments. This is reflected in Realco’s apartment supply: one-room apartments account for 16%, two-room apartments for 50%, three-room apartments for 26%, while larger apartments make up just 7% of all apartments for sale, as demand for them in the market is relatively limited,” says M. Chmieliauskas. 

Aistė Kuncevičiūtė-Gudelienė, interior designer at architecture studio Interjero ABC x AIAI Architects, notes that small apartments are increasingly less likely to be seen as a temporary or compromise option. They are consciously chosen not only by younger buyers, but often also by active urban residents who work and travel extensively and value location and quality of life more than additional square metres. 

“It is not only the size of homes that is changing, but also the way people think about their living environment. When living alone, a home can be designed entirely around one’s own habits and needs. What matters most is no longer the floor area itself, but how efficiently the space is used – how much comfort and functionality can be accommodated within a small space,” the architect notes. 

Good planning can make up for less space 

According to A. Kuncevičiūtė-Gudelienė, a well-planned 35–45 sq m home can be extremely comfortable for one person, while a 40 sq m apartment can feel more spacious than one measuring 50 sq m. She notes that the greatest amount of space is often lost to “dead” zones – long corridors, unnecessary doors and enclosed rooms. 

She adds that there is also no need to assign a separate piece of furniture to every function: a dining table, desk, sofa, armchair, chest of drawers and cabinets. A single table can serve both as a workspace and a dining area, while one integrated piece of built-in furniture can replace several chests of drawers or cabinets. 

“It is also worth making use of the full volume of the home – the space under the bed and upper storage areas. For example, a floor-to-ceiling wall of wardrobes can accommodate clothes, household appliances, seasonal items, a television or even a workspace, while keeping the interior uncluttered. It is important to remember that free space itself also serves a function: comfortable circulation or simply having more room around furniture can sometimes add more to quality of life than another cabinet,” the specialist explains. 

Rasa Tomkienė, interior designer at Interjero ABC x AIAI Architects, adds that a sliding partition, extendable table or concealed workspace can be practical, but a home should not require half the room to be rearranged every day – such solutions should be used in moderation. Some functions can also be taken over by well-designed shared spaces, such as a terrace or work, exercise and leisure areas, reducing the need to fit every function into the apartment itself. 

For this reason, according to Realco’s Sales Director, buyers value real estate projects with convenient and well-executed shared spaces – there is no need to have a large living room for parties, a home gym or a spacious balcony if all of these are available close to home. In such cases, the buyer is not simply purchasing an apartment, but an entire infrastructure, meaning that everyday life is not limited to the home itself. 

How to create a greater sense of space 

M. Chmieliauskas notes that small but functional apartments are chosen by a wide range of buyers: young people purchasing their first home, people living separately after a divorce, single fathers or mothers, and older people who no longer want large homes that are expensive to maintain. A smaller newly built apartment can therefore meet very different needs, while the opportunity to fit it out from scratch allows the space to be tailored precisely to the person who will live there. 

According to R. Tomkienė, the design process should therefore begin not with the number of rooms, but with proportions and the resident’s daily life: whether they work from home, cook frequently, have guests over, and how many clothes, pieces of sports equipment or other belongings they have. The architect points out that not every function requires a separate room – it is more important to clearly distinguish between sleeping, working, dining and relaxation zones. 

“Flexible zoning is increasingly being used in compact homes: instead of fixed walls, sliding or glass partitions, curtains and furniture volumes are used. This creates privacy while preserving natural light, visual continuity and a sense of space. A separate bedroom is not always the best solution either – sometimes it is more valuable to have a larger and brighter shared living area, with the sleeping area subtly separated,” the interior designer explains. 

She adds that proportions and long sightlines are important in a small interior – the ability to look deeper into the space rather than immediately facing a wall or piece of furniture. If the eye can reach a window or take in several functional zones, the interior appears more spacious. Visual continuity is equally important: fewer standalone pieces of furniture, a consistent palette of materials and appropriate lighting. Too many colours, shapes and materials can overwhelm a small space, so it is better to choose fewer but higher-quality surfaces, such as wood, distinctive textiles or stone. 

According to the Realco representative, designing small apartments is becoming increasingly relevant because homes for one person are more often being purchased as a long-term choice. If a person knows he will live in the property not for two years but for five to ten, they tend to pay more attention to the quality of the project, energy efficiency, the surrounding environment and the property’s liquidity, rather than simply choosing the lowest price. 

“In addition, versatile one and two-room homes appeal to a broader range of potential buyers and tenants, which is why they are also viewed as a financially safer choice – if necessary, they are easier to rent out or sell,” says M. Chmieliauskas. 

Realco is one of the largest real estate development companies in Lithuania. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the company develops residential, public and commercial projects distinguished by high quality, innovative solutions and a strong focus on customer needs, both in Lithuania and abroad.