“63% of men under 30 are single.”
What we found.
In Pew Research Center’s July 2022 U.S. survey, 63% of men ages 18–29 said they were single. The survey was weighted. This means the answers were adjusted to better match U.S. adults. It is not a current count. It does not show who had sex or felt lonely. It does not explain why men and women gave different answers.
men younger than 30 who described themselves as single.
FULL GROUP COUNTED: U.S. men ages 18–29 in the July 2022 surveywomen younger than 30 who described themselves as single.
FULL GROUP COUNTED: U.S. women ages 18–29 in the July 2022 surveysingle adults who said they were looking for a relationship or dates.
FULL GROUP COUNTED: All single U.S. adults in the July 2022 surveyRating: Correct only with its original survey attached. In Pew’s July 2022 U.S. survey, 63% of men ages 18–29 said they were single. This is not a current count. The source, population, and review date travel with the copy.
‘Single’ is not one measure.
These words may sound alike, but they count different groups. Do not compare their numbers as if they came from the same group.
| Measure | What it means | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Pew romantic ‘single’ | Not married, not living with a partner, and not in a committed romantic relationship. | Not dating, not having sex, lonely, or looking for a relationship. |
| ACS ‘not currently married’ | Never married, separated, divorced, or widowed in Census microdata. | Romantically unattached; an unmarried cohabiting partner can still be present. |
| Co-residential ‘unpartnered’ | Not living with a spouse or unmarried partner in the same household. | No partner outside the household or no committed relationship. |
| Single and looking | A single respondent who also said they were looking for a relationship or dates. | All people counted as single; Pew reported 57% of single adults were not looking in that survey. |
| Current dating-app user | A separate behavior that requires its own time window and survey question. | Everyone classified as single or everyone who has ever tried online dating. |
What 63% cannot prove.
- How many young adults were sexually active or celibate.
- How lonely or socially connected respondents felt.
- Who used dating apps, how often they matched, or whether app ratios caused the result.
- Whether men and women interpreted exclusivity in the same way.
- That multiple women were dating the same smaller group of men.
- Why the reported gender difference existed.
- What the percentage is today without a directly comparable new survey.
A later 42% statistic answers a different question
Pew later reported that 42% of U.S. adults were ‘unpartnered’ in 2023 using Census-based household data. In that analysis, unpartnered meant not living with a spouse or partner.
That measure can include someone in a committed relationship who lives elsewhere. The 2022 survey’s romantic-status definition can exclude that person. The 2023 figure is useful context, not a direct update of the 63% result.
See the Census ‘not married’ cohort—without pretending it is Pew’s measure.
The calculator can show ages 20–29 with no height, income, education, BMI, or cigarette filter. Its Census “not married” measure is different from Pew’s romantic-status measure for ages 18–29. Do not compare the two outputs as if they measure the same thing.
Open the qualified calculator view →Open the sources.
Every link opens the original publisher.
- 01 / Main sourcePew Research CenterOpen source ↗
For Valentine’s Day, 5 facts about single Americans
Published result, romantic-status definition, subgroup percentages, and looking/not-looking context.
- 02 / Method detailsPew Research CenterOpen source ↗
Single Americans questionnaire and topline
Field dates, sample, weighting notes, full-sample margin of error, and questionnaire wording.
- 03 / Method detailsU.S. Census BureauOpen source ↗
2024 ACS 1-year PUMS Data Dictionary
Official coding definitions for the MAR marital-status variable and PWGTP person weight used by the calculator.
- 04 / Comparison sourcePew Research CenterOpen source ↗
Share of U.S. adults living without a romantic partner has ticked down
A later Census-based co-residential unpartnered measure that should not be treated as the same definition.
We keep updates visible.
We review this page when: Review when Pew publishes a directly comparable romantic-status estimate for adults younger than 30, or when the original source issues a correction.
Initial evidence review published from Pew’s report and questionnaire/topline.
Attached the official 2024 ACS PUMS data dictionary to the calculator’s separate not-currently-married definition.
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