Researchers have discovered that single women tend to report greater satisfaction with their relationship status, overall life, and sexual experiences, while also demonstrating a lower desire for a romantic partner in comparison to single men. This recent study was published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

More about the research

Further insights into the research indicate that much of the existing literature on relationships has primarily concentrated on the experiences of individuals in partnerships, thereby leaving significant gaps in the understanding of the well-being of single individuals. The researchers expressed their motivation by the increasing acknowledgment of singlehood as a significant relationship status that has been inadequately represented in academic studies.

Additionally, the researchers aimed to shed light on the persistence of stereotypes—societal narratives that often depict single women as lonely or unfulfilled, while portraying single men as desirable and satisfied—despite evidence indicating that women may generally report higher levels of well-being than their male counterparts.

The research team aggregated data from ten studies conducted between 2020 and 2023, which included a total of 5,941 participants who were not engaged in romantic relationships at the time of data collection. The sample was evenly divided between men and women, with participants aged between 18 and 75, and an average age of 31.7 years.

Participants were asked to complete questionnaires that evaluated their satisfaction with their current relationship status, overall life satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and their desire for a romantic partner. These measures were standardized across the studies to ensure uniformity, and the data were analyzed using statistical models that considered potential differences among the samples.

What the study found

The study's findings indicate that, on average, single women express greater satisfaction regarding their relationship status, overall life satisfaction, and sexual satisfaction, while exhibiting a reduced desire for a partner. The researchers noted that exploratory analyses revealed significant interactions between gender, age, and ethnicity. In summary, these results imply that women tend to experience higher levels of happiness in singlehood compared to men.

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