Despite the engagement, wedding and baby posts you see on your social media newsfeeds, a new study has found that single Americans make up more than half of the adult population.
According to data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for its monthly job market report, about 50.2 percent of Americans over the age of 16 were single in August.
The amount of single Americans has risen more than 50 percent. In 1976 when the government began collecting such statistics, 37.4 percent of adults were single.
In a report for clients titled "Selfies," economist and president of New York-based Yardeni Research Inc. Edward Yardeni writes that single Americans are less likely to have children and prefer to rent instead of buy homes.
"While they have less household earnings than married people, they also have fewer expenses, especially if there are no children in their households," Yardeni writes.
The Census Bureau reported that the U.S. population grew at the slowest rate in 2013 since the Great Depression, blaming economic recovery for low birth rates and low immigration.
The "remarkable" rise in single Americans could cause significant economic effects in the U.S. as spending trends that include what people buy and how much money they spend continue to change.
Yardeni says that the rise in singles could also have social and political effects.
The statistics reveal that the number of Americans who have never been married rose to 30.4 percent compared to the 22.1 percent in 1976. More than three decades ago, divorced Americans made up 15.3 percent of the population. Today, it has risen to 19.8 percent.
So next time your newsfeed has you feeling like you're the only one that is staying single, remember that the majority of Americans are saying "I don't."
