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IV. One-person Households? Major Durable Goods Ownership
(1) Ownership quantities disparities by age group
Seen by age group, one-person households in their 30s owned more personal computers, cellular phones, cameras and cars than other age groups and those in their 40s more video tape recorders and golf club sets, indicating a tendency to own more IT and communication-related and recreational durable goods.
The 60 years old or older age group all owned more color TVs and general furniture items such as cupboards/cabinets, wardrobes, and chest of drawers for ?Kimono? than other age groups. (Table IV-1)
There were no consumer durables that one-person households under 30 years old owned more of than other age groups.
Table IV-1 Major Durable Goods Ownership Quantities per 1,000 One-person Households by Age
(2) IT and communication-related consumer durables
Looking at IT and communication-related consumer durable ownership quantities by sex and age group, cellular phone ownership quantities was the highest among both men and women in their 30s, exceeding 1,000. Comparing men and women, men topped women in all age groups of the 30 years old and above, but women under 30 years old owned more than men. Men in their 30s owned the most personal computers, exceeding 1,000. Women in their 30s and 40s had high ownership quantities. Comparing sexes, men exceeded women in all age brackets, with an especially large disparity among those in their 30s. (Figure IV-1)
Figure IV-1 One-person Household IT and Communications-Related Consumer Durable Ownership Quantities
per 1,000 Households by Age and Sex
(3) Young, one-person household major durable goods ownership
Looking at major durable goods ownership quantities among one-person households of the under 30 years old age group(young, one-person households) by sex, cellular phone ownership quantities were the highest among men at 963 (93.1% ownership rates), followed in order by 916 color TVs (88.1%), 902 refrigerators (88.8%), 899 personal computers (76.0%), and 765 stereo sets or CD/MD radio cassette recorders (74.1%). Cellular phone ownership quantities were highest among women at 999 (98.2%), followed in order by 961 refrigerators (94.3%), 935 color TVs (90.4%), 897 microwave ovens (89.7%), and 881 washing machines (88.1%).
Excluding for personal computers, video tape recorders and cars, women topped men when compared by sex and especially owned more refrigerators, microwave ovens and other household consumer goods than men. (Table IV-2)
Table IV-2 Major Durable Goods Ownership Quantities and Ownership Rates per 1,000 Young, One-person Households by Sex
(4) Elderly, one-person households major durable goods ownership
Looking at major durable goods ownership quantities among one-person households of the 65 years old or older age group(elderly, one-person households) by sex, room air-conditioner ownership quantities were highest among men at 1,579 (75.3% ownership rates), followed in order by 1,498 color TVs (95.7%), 1,339 cupboards/cabinets (89.2%), 1,220 vacuum cleaners (94.3%), and 1,196 wardrobes (84.8%). Room air-conditioner ownership quantities were also highest with women at 1,513 (81.3%), followed in order by 1,504 cupboards/cabinets (95.2%), 1,476 color TVs (96.1%), 1,326 chest of drawers (80.9%), and 1,300 chests of drawers for ?Kimono? (83.9%).
Both sexes owned more general furniture items compared to young one-person households. (Table IV-3)
Table IV-3 Major Durable Goods Ownership Quantities and Ownership Rates per 1,000 Elderly, One-person Households by Sex
