Why single women are happier than single men

When thinking about a single woman and a single man, the majority of people will picture a crazy cat lady versus a happy-go-lucky man. However, this stereotype is outdated and not at all true, according to a new study.

The study, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, shows that single women report being happier and more satisfied than men in the same situation.

The study, led by Elaine Hoan, member of the MacDonald Social Psychology Research Lab in Toronto, examined data from 10 studies conducted between 2020 and 2023, which included a total of 5,941 single participants, between the ages of 18 and 75, with an average age of 31.7.

Each participant had to complete a form with questions regarding their level of satisfaction with their romantic and sexual status, their desire to have a partner, and their overall quality of life.

While no specific percentages were provided, the results were clear: women feel much more at peace with their single status than men.

“Overall, we found that single women were happier than single men,” Hoan told PsyPost.

“This was true across all of our measures, including how satisfied they were with their lives and their singlehood status. We also found that single women reported a lower desire to have a romantic partner,” the expert added.

Even on a sexual level, single women appear to have a more satisfying quality of life, a finding that surprised the researchers of the study.

According to Hoan, some old theories tend to indicate that women always have the worst when it comes to intimate relationships. Today, however, they feel freer and more willing to satisfy their needs, the expert said.

To fully understand the reasons for this reversal of traditional stereotypes, we need to observe the way in which both men and women experience being single.

The study suggests that single  women turn their focus unto their well-being, which in turn, helps their happiness.

In the female world, a key role is also played by friendships and other types of social relationships that are not of a romantic nature.

The primary goal of most single women interviewed in the study is to be able to live a fulfilling and satisfying life, regardless of the source of their well-being.

On the contrary, for a large part of the men interviewed, a romantic relationship is among their greatest desires. According to the researchers, this trend could reflect a greater dependence on romantic relationships in order to achieve their well-being.

According to Hoan, more research is needed on this topic so that we can "understand exactly why we see these differences in well-being between men and women, to create a sort of 'list of ingredients' for how to build a better single life for everyone."

It should be noted that, up to now, the condition of being single has not been the object of much attention by scholars, who over the years have often focused on the well-being of individuals in couples.

Fortunately, we are increasingly aware that old stereotypes about the wants and needs of women are outdated, and so, in this modern era, personal gratification is more about self-love and nurturing relationships that don’t need to be romantic.

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