Pew data show young men are far more likely to be single than young women, raising alarms about family formation and culture.
Story Highlights
- Pew reports 63% of men under 30 are single, versus 34% of women.
- Men use dating apps more than women, yet struggle to form relationships.
- Surveys show a gap between men’s openness to date and women’s standards.
- Ipsos finds many young men feel looks and money matter most to women.
What The Numbers Say About Singlehood
Pew Research Center found that 63% of men under 30 say they are single, compared with 34% of women under 30. That gap is large and hard to ignore. It means millions of young men are outside steady relationships. Pew also reports that the “single” label can include casual dating. Still, this is a sharp split by sex. It signals stress on family paths like engagement, marriage, and kids, which depend on stable dating pools.
Pew also looked at online dating. Among single adults who are looking, 50% of men used a dating site or app in the past year, compared with 37% of women. Young adults lead in app use. Over half of those ages 18 to 29 have tried online dating. So access is not the core problem for men. Many are trying. The bottleneck likely sits with matching, expectations, and how apps shape behavior, not a lack of interest.
Expectations, Mismatch, And App Dynamics
The American Enterprise Institute’s Survey Center on American Life reports single men are more open to dating than single women, 47% versus 36%, while women more often say they cannot find someone who meets their expectations, 38% versus 23% of men. That gap suggests a mismatch. Many men want in, but more women feel offers fall short. A peer-reviewed study also finds men more often cite sex and casual sex as app motives, showing different aims when swiping.
An Ipsos study in 2025 adds texture. It finds young men believe women prioritize looks and financial status. It also shows 50% of men ages 16 to 24 used a dating app in the past year, compared with 28% of women. That belief about high standards, mixed with heavy app use, can feed doubt. When men get few matches or slow replies, they can feel shut out. That is a poor path to steady dating, and it fuels talk about a broader cultural slide for young men.
Why This Matters To Families And Culture
Delayed or stalled dating slows marriage and births. That hits family life first and our national future next. Fewer stable couples mean fewer homes built on shared duty and faith. Many readers blame past elites for pushing values that mock manhood and family. The data do not prove causes. But they confirm a real imbalance. It is fair to press schools, media, and tech firms on how they treat boys and young men, and how platforms reward shallow cues over character.
Some argue the crisis talk goes too far. They note singlehood can be a choice or a phase, and that false-accusation fears are often overstated. Those points exist in the debate. Still, the core facts stand. Many more young men are single. Many are trying apps with weak results. Women report unmet standards. That mix strains the path to marriage. Leaders who care about stable families should back mentorship, real-world community life, and norms that reward virtue over vanity.
What Policymakers And Parents Can Do Now
Communities can steer teens and young adults toward face-to-face activities, sports, trades, and churches that build confidence and purpose. Parents can model healthy marriages and clear courtship rules. Schools can teach digital literacy and respect, not ideology that divides the sexes. Policymakers can expose harms in youth social media and promote work and training that let young men support a future family. These steps align with liberty and responsibility, and they are measurable and local.
Sources:
robkhenderson.com, pewresearch.org, scrippsnews.com, ipsos.com, deseret.com
