Men more likely to be single, than women

Main Category: Men's health
Article Date: 08 Nov 2004 - 14:00 PDT

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UK - The Bridget Jones generation of thirty-something singletons are more likely to be men than women, according to a new report.

Researchers from Edinburgh University said that almost 20 per cent of men between the ages of 25 and 44 now live on their own, compared to just six per cent of women.

While unclear about the cause of this trend, they suggested that a fear of commitment and rising career demands could mean that increasing numbers of men are choosing not to get married.

The university's centre for research on families and relationships said the increase in solo living could have major implications for the supply of housing stock.

"It also means that if all these single people do not have children, there will be less family support when they hit old age. This has big implications for social and community care," co-author Adam Smith told the Telegraph.

Official figures show the number of single men in their thirties reached 1.65 million last year, out of a total population for the age range of 3.9 million.

In contrast, there were just 1.27m single thirty something women, out of a total of just over four million in the same age group.
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