China has over 20 million "empty-nest" youths aged¹ 20 to 39, and most of them live in major cities, according to a report by China National Radio (CNR).

 

中央人民广播电台的报道，中国20至39岁的年轻人有2000多万“空巢族”，他们中的大多数生活在大城市。

 

Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Guangzhou are home to the biggest number of empty-nesters. They are young singles who live alone to work usually in cities.

 

People with "empty-nest" syndrome² used to refer mainly to the elderly whose children have moved out from their homes. The term's definition has been stretched in China as more young folk live alone away from their hometowns.

 

These young empty-nesters are often perceived as shut-ins who prefer to spend most of their time in their apartments. Their main way of interacting with others outside of work is through social media.

 

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show 12.45 percent of households in the country were inhabited by one person each in 2015, up by over four percentage points from 2008.

 

Sichuan University sociology professor Wang Yimei, speaking to Xinhua, said the growing number of empty-nesters was a result of uneven³ social and economic development between big cities and small towns.

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