American adults are looking for love — and many are reporting they've found someone. For the first time in nearly two decades, the share of unmarried adults in the United States – those who are neither married nor living with an unmarried partner – has declined. Pew Research Center analysis Census Bureau data was released on Wednesday. Pew found that this decline coincided with a slight increase in couples reporting being married, from 50% to 51%, indicating a possible shift in America's relationships.
“Loneliness is at an all-time high,” Dr. Richard Fry, a labor economist who conducted the survey and worked as a research analyst for Pew for 23 years, told CBS News. Fry could not say whether this trend would continue, but he said the changes signal a possible shift in the direction of US relations. Those surveyed said they were not currently married, living with a partner, or in a committed romantic relationship. A smaller share of single adults report that they are casually dating someone.
In 2000, the population of unmarried adults was 38%, said Fry, who heads a team of researchers focusing on family and American work life. That number grew rapidly, Fry said, reaching a peak of 44% in 2019. This number will drop to 42% in 2023.
While some groups, including youth aged 18–24, older women, and those without a high school diploma, have reported being unaffiliated in higher numbers than the general adult population, across the board, romantic relationships are up. Have moved forward. The number of adults reporting to the Census Bureau that they were living with an unmarried partner increased from 6% to 7% over the same time period, and the number of people reporting being married after their 50s increased from 6% to 7%, the Bureau's data shows. % increased to 51%. 2019 to 2023, Pew found.
Census Bureau data shows there has been no increase in new marriages, but divorces have declined. In 2012, 2% of married adults reported that they had been divorced in the past year. Pew found that in 2023, a record-low 1.4% of married adults will divorce.
Beyond any sociological value, these numbers also have financial implications, as partnered adults perform better economically. Research from Ohio State University The survey of nearly 9,000 people found that divorce reduces a person's wealth by about three-quarters compared to a single person, while being married nearly doubles the comparable wealth.
These findings match the Pew survey, which cited 2023 federal reserve surveyShows that unpartnered adults are in a worse economic situation than partnered adults. Pew said about 64% of single adults said they are at least OK financially, compared with 77% of partnered adults.
“From a purely economic standpoint, adults who have partners are better off financially,” Fry said.
Fry said, men, especially if they are married, are in a better position financially. Research shows that single men are also much less likely than employed men to be employed because, according to Fry, women are attracted to men they see as providers.
“Financially successful men tend to be more attractive partners, but marriage also makes them 'more successful on the job.'” If men get married, they are more productive,” Fry said.
Zach Thompson hasn't been alone his entire adult life — and he likes it that way. He met his wife, Jenna, in middle school. They were friends during high school, got engaged, and then got married in 2020.
Thompson, a filmmaker from South Carolina, said that growing up, he saw many of his family members in relationships and knew he wanted one, too. When he met his wife it seemed like a natural progression. He said. Now, the 26-year-old couple lives together in Charleston. “If you find someone you can spend the rest of your life with, there's real value and worth fighting for and maintaining that relationship,” Thompson said.