More than ever before...Americans are going at it alone:
Bottom Line: The idea that one's the loneliest number may have come and gone with Three Dog Night. More than at any time on record previously, we're seeing adults go at it (life) alone. Over the past decade we've seen that every age demographic, except for adults over 65, has experienced fewer committed relationships. The Pew Research Center has kept up with this topic overtime and here's the latest:
Here's what it looked like in 2007 (percentage of single adults):
- Under 35: 56% single
- 35-54: 29%
- 55-64: 29%
- 65+: 43%
And where we stand today:
- Under 35: 61% single (+5%)
- 35-54: 30% (+1%)
- 55-64: 32% (+3%)
- 65+: 41% (-2%)
Across all ages 39% of adults were single ten years ago and 42% are today. And if you think it has to do more divorces, that's not actually the case. The peak divorce rate actually occurred in 1980 and has slowly declined since (hitting a 30 year low in 2015). While it doesn't explain everything that's going on with an increase in adult singles, it appears as though the most common reason for record percentages of single adults has to do with waiting longer to find someone to commit to in the first place. That would explain the increase in singles across all younger demographics, the lower divorce rates and the decline with older demographics.