Unmarried young men in the US surge 47% since 2000

A report from the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) reveals a significant demographic shift in the United States, noting that the number of unmarried men aged 20 to 39 has increased by 47% since 2000.

Between 2000 and 2025, the population of unmarried men in this age bracket grew from 20.7 million to 30.4 million. Conversely, the number of married men in the same age group fell by 15%, decreasing from 18.1 million to 15.4 million. This has resulted in a gap of 15 million between the two groups.

Sociology professor Brad Wilcox and researcher Isabella Dini noted that unmarried men now outnumber married men in this demographic by nearly two to one. The researchers suggested that while some may be delaying marriage, many may remain single for the rest of their lives. They also linked these trends to declining happiness levels among young adults, noting that married adults consistently report higher levels of happiness than their unmarried peers.