Why Are So Many Adults Still Single?

Is everybody single?

If you are, it might feel like it. The reality is that the single adult population (women and men over 18 years of age) has risen to an alarming rate across the globe. Globally, there are now more single adults today than in recorded history, including those who are divorced, and widowed, and those who have never been married. At first it might be difficult to accept that everyone including those considered teenagers, and aging groups like senior citizens or middle aged adults, would be single for the same reasons. You might assume that the barely twenty, or the twenty somethings, have an experience problem, they just haven’t had enough time, or partners.

Surely, those adults with decades of life behind them have been too choosey or just ‘unlucky’ in love. As for widowed adults, they fall into their own category in which understanding and sympathy is often applied. They didn’t choose to be single, and more so are probably shocked and surprised that they are single.

Traditionally, groups of adults are segmented into categories including millennials, seniors, divorcees, single mothers, college educated, etc. then studied individually, separately assigned a unique reason for their singleness. Objectively this makes sense — but when adult groups are studied independent of each other, and then…