While the marriage rate decline has slowed, singlehood is becoming mainstream. An estimated 42% of US adults are unpartnered, and most single adults are not currently seeking a partner. Based on gender and current dating activity, four distinct segments of Singles are identified, each with unique social, financial and lifestyle needs, which contrast to adults who are married or in a serious relationship.
Despite embracing their independence, Singles express a strong desire for easier ways to connect with other people, both romantically and platonically. Overreliance on digital platforms has halved Americans’ average socializing time since 2003, compounding loneliness. Fatigue with traditional dating apps is widespread: 60% of Singles find them pointless rather than useful, driving a shift toward more experience-led and niche platforms that connect people based on shared interests. Brands that offer accessible, affordable and community-driven solutions for Singles’ unique social and financial needs can gain a clear competitive advantage in appealing to unattached consumers as single lifestyles become more mainstream and normalized.
This report looks at the following areas:
- An overview of current economic factors impacting Single consumers
- Profiles of different Single and Partnered consumer segments and their lifestyles
- Consumer outlook on singlehood and interest in finding a partner
- Single consumers’ outlook and attitudes towards dating
- Consumers’ social circles and socializing activities
- Consumers’ outlook and attitudes towards their independence and autonomy
Singlehood continues to become more mainstream, underscoring the unique social, financial and lifestyle needs of different types of single adults.
Lisa Dubina, Associate Director, Culture & Identity
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions for its relationship-based consumer segments:
- Single Men – Dating: men who are not currently married and describe currently going on dates with different people
- Single Women – Dating: women who are not currently married and describe currently going on dates with different people
- Single Men – Not Dating: men who are not currently married and not actively going on dates with different people at this time
- Single Women – Not Dating: women who are not currently married and not actively going on dates with different people at this time
- Younger Married: Gen Z and Millennials who are currently married
- Older Married: Gen X and Baby Boomers who are currently married
- Unmarried but in Relationship: not currently married but in a serious, committed relationship
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- Market definitions
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Outlook for singles and socializing
- Opportunities
- Normalize Single lifestyles with inclusive marketing and single-friendly pricing
- Create inclusive IRL experiences and tools to foster connections for digitally-native Singles
- Normalize and empower solo leisure experiences
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THE MARKET
- Consumers and the economic outlook
- Market factors
- After decreasing steadily for decades, the US marriage rate decline has started to slow
- Graph 1: share of US households headed by married couples, 1950-2024
- Despite a slowing in the marriage rate decline, the share of married women falls below half
- In addition to gender differences, marriage rates also vary across race and ethnicity
- Graph 2: percent of married men, by race and ethnicity, 1950-2024
- Graph 3: percent of married women, by race and ethnicity, 1950-2024
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Relationship-based Consumer Segments
- Singles make-up a third of Mintel’s survey sample
- Graph 4: relationship status, 2025
- Graph 5: relationship status – by partnered and singles sub-segments, 2025
- Singles overindex as Gen Z adults who are still in the process of building their careers, finances and lifestyle
- Four segments of Singles have varying demographic characteristics and desires for socializing and companionship
- Single men who are currently dating are more likely to be young, multicultural and never married previously
- This segment is social, independent and enjoying the freedom of their single life
- Single women who are currently dating span Gen Z to Gen X and more are likely than all singles to have children under 18 years old
- This segment is more likely to be balancing work and parenting alongside dating and socializing
- Single men who are not actively dating are likely to be Gen Zs who are urban dwelling and child-free
- This segment is likely finishing schooling or just entering the workforce
- Single women who are not dating skew older, have likely been married previously and have grown children
- These women have embraced their singlehood and are not interested in marriage
- Partnered adults skew Millennial and financial affluent with young kids in the household
- Three segments of Partnered adults have varying needs, often driven by lifestage
- Younger married adults are more likely to be multicultural, urban-dwelling, and fall in the mid-range income bracket
- This segment is wrapped up in their kids and family life
- Older Married adults are more likely to be White, financially affluent empty-nesters or non-parents
- This segment is enjoying the freedom and flexibility of being empty nesters and/or retirees
- Those unmarried but in a serious relationship are more likely to be young, multicultural women with low-to-mid household incomes
- This segment seems to strike more of a balance between socializing and alone time, with half living with their partner and no kids in household
- The basics: outlook on self and life
- Family-oriented, easy-going and independent are the most common self-descriptors
- Graph 6: self-descriptors, 2025
- Singles and those not married are more likely to emphasize their independence
- Graph 7: self-descriptors – by partnered status, 2025
- Graph 8: self-descriptors – by single status, 2025*
- The majority of Singles are not currently seeking a long-term partner and they’re divided on their interest in getting married one day
- Graph 9: current interest in long-term romantic partner, by Single segments, 2025
- Graph 10: long-term outlook on marriage, by Single segments, 2025
- Not currently seeking a partner doesn’t necessarily mean being happy with current relationship status
- Graph 11: happiness with current relationship status, by relationship status, 2025
- Consumers have a paradoxical outlook on being alone
- Consumers also have a paradoxical outlook on being alone
- Graph 12: agreement – independent attributes, 2025
- Graph 13: agreement – loneliness attributes, 2025
- Lonely or anti-social?
- Loneliness is more common among singles, but the interest in meeting new people is nearly universal
- Graph 14: any agreement – independence vs loneliness, by relationship status, 2025
- Outlook on singlehood
- Most Singles do not feel pressure to be in a relationship
- Graph 15: pressure to be in a relationship, by Single segments, 2025
- Being friends with other Singles likely helps alleviate some of the social pressures to find a partner
- Graph 16: relationship status of friends, by relationship status, 2025
- Freedom and independence are considered some of the key benefits of remaining single
- Graph 17: agreement – positives of singlehood, 2025
- Singles are more likely to see and appreciate the freedom and independence of their single status
- Graph 18: any agreement – positives of singlehood, by relationship status, 2025
- Outlook on dating
- Brands should consider ways to tailor services and offerings for Singles
- Most consumers enjoy and are stimulated by meeting new people
- Graph 19: Outlook on meeting new people, by singles status, 2025
- Singles currently dating show slightly higher positivity towards dating apps, however Singles overall struggle to see the benefits
- Graph 20: outlook on dating apps, by Single segments, 2025
- “Hobby apps” as an alternative to dating apps
- Men and younger Singles are a little more optimistic about the viability of dating apps
- Graph 21: outlook on dating apps – among Singles, by gender, 2025
- Graph 22: outlook on dating apps – among Singles, by age, 2025
- Dateability is the inclusive and accessible dating app for people with disabilities and/or chronic illness
- Social circles
- Singles tend to have fewer friends than people in relationships
- Graph 23: count of close friends, by relationship status, 2025
- But there’s also a generational gap when it comes to social circles
- Graph 24: count of close friends, by generation and parental status, 2025
- In their own words: describing their social circles
- Physical proximity is a key source of friends and social connections
- Graph 25: source of close friends, 2025
- Gen Z relies heavily on virtual sources for friendship, further confirming a need for in-person socializing
- Graph 26: source of close friends, by generation, 2025
- Heineken teams up with Joe Jonas to show Gen Z a world without social media
- Outlook on socializing
- The majority of people feel they personally take on the burden of social organizing
- Consumer segments with young kids are the most likely to struggle finding time to socialize
- Graph 27: any agree – outlook on socializing, by relationship status, 2025
- In their own words: Socializing and meeting new people
- Food and drink are key to social activities with friends
- Graph 28: activities done with friends in the past year, 2025
- Singles currently dating are some of the most active with their friends
- Graph 29: activities done with friends in the past year, by Partnered couple status, 2025
- Graph 30: activities done with friends in the past year, by Single segments, 2025
- In addition to meeting friends through virtual sources, Gen Z is also more likely to socialize via virtual outlets
- Graph 31: activities done with friends in the past year, by generation, 2025
- Beyond video gaming, social media is also crucial to Gen Z’s socializing
- Graph 32: agreement – “Social media is critical to maintaining my friendships,” by generation, 2025
- Independence and living alone
- Consumers are fairly confident in their independence; however, there are some notable gaps
- Graph 33: life skills/responsibilities consumers are confident doing solo, 2025
- There is still a distinct gender divide – or confidence gap – when it comes to life skills
- Graph 34: life skills/responsibilities consumers are confident doing solo, by gender, 2025
- Acorns helps young Singles life-hack investing
- Confidence in life skills and hacks grows with age and experience
- Graph 35: life skills/responsibilities consumers are confident doing solo, by generation, 2025
- There’s an opportunity to encourage and inspire solo fun
- Graph 36: leisure/entertainment activities done alone in the past year, 2025
- Brands can help make solo leisure activities more safe, accessible and normalized for Single Women
- Graph 37: activities done alone in the past year – among Singles, by gender, 2025
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
- Marketing and advertising
- La Colombe brews Love Over Lattes
- Bounty normalizes older Singles’ lifestyles
- Netflix partners with Lunge Run Club
- Ben’s Original depicts roommate dinner night
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APPENDIX
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Consumer qualitative research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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