{"id":11349,"date":"2022-11-30T07:30:46","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T07:30:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=11349"},"modified":"2025-04-23T09:35:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T09:35:23","slug":"why-chinas-single-diners-are-inspiring-food-brands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/why-chinas-single-diners-are-inspiring-food-brands\/","title":{"rendered":"Why China’s single diners are inspiring F&B brands"},"content":{"rendered":"

From self-heating hot pot to trendy instant noodles, food and drink brands are rushing to create products that appeal to the growing number of people in China who are single or live alone, writes <\/strong>Qing Na from <\/strong>Dao Insights<\/h2>\n

Solo dining restaurants with tables and chairs sectioned into individual booths like private train compartments have drawn increasing footfall from white-collar eaters in major Chinese cities over the past few years. The emergence of this kind of solo dining setting is in response to China\u2019s growing population of singles who see dining alone as part of their fast-paced daily routine, further stimulated by Covid-19 controls<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In 2018, the number of single adults in China reached 240 million in 2018, with over 77 million living alone, \u00a0with the post-80s and post-90s generations making up the majority. This is a result of continuously declining marriage rates<\/a> since 2014, coupled with a rising divorce rate, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.<\/p>\n

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The rise in the number of single people has driven up the demand for one-person meals. Unlike the older generations, young Chinese singles don\u2019t show much enthusiasm for cooking by themselves. A report published in 2019 by Sinolink Securities Consumer Research Centre showed that the majority (approximately 42%) of China\u2019s single adults \u201ccook occasionally\u201d, followed by over 20% who \u201cnever cook\u201d.<\/p>\n

Alongside the rise of solo dining restaurants, ready-to-eat and pre-cooked meals are also gaining popularity as they provide a convenient and reasonably nutritious solution. Takeaway businesses are also tapping into one-person households, adapting meal options normally enjoyed by a group such as hotpot, to versions suitable for single diners.<\/p>\n