The study, published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, found that those aged 14 to 20 are more satisfied being single and exhibit greater contentment than their counterparts from a decade ago.
Researchers were intrigued by global societal trends, including declining marriage rates, rising divorce rates and an increase in single-person households.
Study author Tita Gonzalez Avilés from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz wrote: “Compared to our grandparents’ generation, people today marry less frequently and experience higher divorce rates.
“At the same time, more diverse forms of relationships, such as unmarried relationships, cohabitation, and extended Singlehood, have become more accepted. While Singlehood seems more socially acceptable, it is unclear if singles indeed feel more satisfied.”
The study had participants from four birth cohorts: 1971-1973, 1981-1983, 1991-1993, and 2001-2003.
The study focused on participants aged 14-40 who were single throughout the study period between 2008-2011 and 2018-2021.
Participants shared information on their relationship status and satisfaction with Singlehood and overall life.
The study discovered that those born between 2001-2003 had a higher proportion of singles (47 per cent) compared to 1991-1993 (42 per cent).
Researchers discovered a positive shift towards Singlehood, with the youngest cohort reporting a 3 per cent higher chance of being single and satisfied with that.
Talking to PsyPost, Gonzalez Avilés said: “Singlehood is changing over time — especially so for adolescents.
“Adolescents nowadays are not only more often single than ten years ago but also more satisfied with being single.
“Adolescents might encounter a broader spectrum of relationship forms than adults due to interactions with diverse peers at school and extensive engagement with social media, making Singlehood more normative and acceptable for them. Changes in the single life of adults may be slower and become apparent only over longer periods.”
The study also found that satisfaction with Singlehood decreased with age, with emerging and established adults reporting lower satisfaction levels.
Higher levels of neuroticism were associated with lower satisfaction with both Singlehood and overall life. Additionally, extraversion was related to higher life satisfaction but did not significantly impact singlehood satisfaction.
