Increasing Numbers of Single Young Men in America
Wow, it’s quite striking.
The amount of single young men in the U.S. has surged nearly 50% since the year 2000. And, despite what many women might believe, this trend isn’t necessarily a positive development.
As of 2025, there are around 30.4 million men aged 20 to 39 who are unmarried, compared to roughly 15.4 million who are married, based on recent findings from the Institute for Family Studies.
In the year 2000, that number was significantly lower—20.7 million bachelors against 18.1 million married men. This shows that the divide between unmarried and married men has grown almost six times larger than it was before.
“These men tend to experience feelings of loneliness, have higher risks of despair, and are generally unhappier,” noted Brad Wilcox, a sociologist at the University of Virginia, while discussing the issue.
He emphasized, “It’s not beneficial for a society to have a large number of disheartened, unattached young men.”
Wilcox pointed out that the decline in marriage rates is particularly evident among working-class men, which is also reflected in the reduced rates of child-rearing. He also highlighted the increasing number of young men who spend excessive time on video games and social media.
“The digital age has taken a considerable toll on their social skills, opportunities for real-life interactions, and even their educational achievements,” he remarked.
Additionally, he mentioned that schools often don’t cater to the interests and learning styles of boys, which could be contributing to this trend.
Research from the Pew Research Center revealed that in 2021, about 25% of people aged 40 and older reported having never been married, a significant increase from 6% in 1980. When broken down by gender, this accounted for 28% of men and 22% of women.
The median age for American men getting married has now risen to around 31, compared to just 23.5 in 1975, according to Census Bureau statistics.
This information comes shortly after reports indicated that over two-thirds of Americans don’t engage in any social interactions on a daily basis. This trend seems to be particularly pressing among Gen Z, who spent crucial development years in lockdown due to COVID-19.
Furthermore, Gen Z appears to be the most distrustful generation, with only 13% believing that most people can be trusted. Alarmingly, nearly 10% of them reported having no face-to-face interactions with anyone throughout their daily lives.
