A solo life is increasingly becoming a choice people are making. Research by the social psychologist MacDonald (2022) found, "More Americans than ever before are single and many are perfectly happy to stay that way.... Three in 10 US adults are single.... Among those singles, half said they were not interested in dating or looking for a relationship"(Transcript, Episode 215). Actually he said that singlehood is getting to be a worldwide trend.
The cover story of the AARP Bulletin (2025) took a closer look a singlehood among older Americans. It reported that 21% of US adults 50 years and older live by themselves, and the numbers are growing. Older women (1 in 3) are more likely to stay single after divorced or widowed, while older men (1 in 5) are more likely to remarry and often choose younger spouses.
AARP interviewed dozens of older singletons and gleaned several insights:
1) In a national survey, 35% of solo agers said that freedom and autonomy were the best advantages of living alone.
2) Solo women were less likely to feel lonely than women with partners. They claimed they had more time for friendships. Women valued their connections to others more than men did.
3) A national survey found that only 27% of single older women and 43% of single older men wanted to date. Most turned to friends for support and advice.
4) Social and eldercare networks were also top resources for getting help with practical challenges, including financial ones.
If you may need some therapeutic support for nagivating the challenges of living alone, feel free to CONTACT ME.
References:
Harrar, S. (2025). Living solo. AARP Bulletin, November, December. pp. 6-20.
Mills, K. (2022). Speaking of psychology: Living a happy single life, with Geoff MacDonald, PhD. Transscript from the American Psychological Association, Episode 215.