Where Are All the Single Women
Question: Where Are All the Single Women
Answer: All over the place apparently !!
The Government’s Office for National Statistics has released a load of data on single women which made for very interesting reading, especially as they are official national stats not just some poll or another.
It’s good news for the bachelor !
It seems that over the last 30 years the number of single women has actually doubled !
-
51% of women are now single
But what does it mean when the majority of women are single ?
What are the ramifications ?
Presumably this figure owes a lot to increased divorce and also the huge rise in women who have successful careers which allows them a freedom few had 30 years ago.
It made interesting reading when some of the ladies commented on why they were still single, a surprising number said they’d just ‘ended up’ that way and most wished it was not the case.
This must be part of the pressure on the housing market and must also have a bearing in years to come on the social fabric of the country. How many elderly couples today manage thanks to the support they give each other as a couple ?
There were also some peculiar reasons given by men for not getting married. One very popular one was men claimed they could not afford to get married due to big mortgages and the high cost of living.
I would have thought the opposite. Surely the high cost of buying a house would encourage marriage as so many women now have jobs and careers which must surely make buying a house easier ?
One interesting financial statistic showed that two thirds of married couples with children enjoyed a household income in excess of £700 a week !
I personally would really like to know how many people who are single are so by choice ?
How many would get married if only the could find a suitable partner ?
Why are he chances of getting married better for a man in his 40s than a woman ?
I think it could cut both ways. There will be plenty who say they want to be single when deep down they don’t.
Likewise how many people simply make excuses such as being too busy with careers etc to settle down, when in reality it actually suits them !
This is an area when you have to accept actual statistics but doubt some of the reasons given for them.
I am always told by married men how much they envy the life I have which is the easy glib thing to say but how many of them really wish they weren’t married ?
I think this new ’single culture’ is a problem not least for those who are getting older. There is the amazing stat the a woman in her 40s is more likely to die than find a husband !!
I can see how hard this must be given how so many are trying to juggle children and jobs single handed.
So is that the future ? Are more and more of us destined to live alone ?
Does it even matter ?
I’m pretty sure that the traditional idea of being happily married, having 2 children, owning your own home and having a little financial security is probably the ideal situation for both human beings and society in general.
That said the trend is clear and sustained over a long period of time - the future is set to be very different
Witches of Eastwick said,
January 22, 2009 @ 10:28 pm
Rod,
It’s a meaty subject and one debated on a fairly regular basis by our circle of acquaintances, married and single. Incidentally there aren’t many singles from our own circle left this year …. previously we knew lots but most have found partners over the past twelve months or so. In fact we’re off to a wedding this summer where both are mid forties… must say we can’t wait to have a knees up and wear a party frock (we’ll be moth-balling it for yours Rod
).
If only women could have children in their 60’s and live to 120ish, fit and healthy and able to bring up their offspring and concentrate on that, having had a fabulous career with plenty of financial security. Sadly the clock ticks away so most women already have their children when they find out that their partners aren’t going to stay the course. What percentage of estranged parents want to or indeed can pay the full amount required to meet the bills….. not many in our experience and we all know where that leads. How women hold down full time demanding jobs while their children are young we’ll never know…. no wonder they look warn out (not all perhaps) by the time the kids leave home. Anyone who has ever had to look after kids day after day and struggle with all the heartache that it brings will understand the pressures involved. Adults can hurt each other and most of us know how that feels but when kids are involved the pain can be hugely magnified…. or at least that’s our opinion.
By the time we all reach our mid forties there isn’t the rush or expectation perhaps to have a family so things can slow down. People are wary with good cause and probably rather stuck in their ways by that time and less likely to want to compromise. Either way it’s always nice to see people get together and as you’ve said before Rod, there’s someone for everyone out there….. it’s just finding the right one. Now, all we have to do is get hold of those Government stats conveniently gathered together on a CD and left on a train, then make a few calls to see whether any of these women are interested in you…. remember to emphasize your kitchen garden skills and sock etiquette
WoE
Little Brother said,
January 22, 2009 @ 11:36 pm
Rod,
A really good post that and WoE has excelled herself. Maybe it’s the fear of the unknown or rather the experienced which has much to do with single people ‘risking it’. Perhaps we raise the bar too high and expect too much from a person but I find it very sad when a relationship is founded on what one looks like and what the other one has, the two rarely last when put together!
LB
Rod said,
January 23, 2009 @ 9:18 am
WoE
there’s no doubt it’s a tricky area especially for women who have children as I mentioned.
Every time this type of subject comes up there is always a bias that I notice straight away.
The stats and the questions all follow the bachelor - spinster route
Why can’t the woman find a husband ?
Why won’t the man get married ?
The connotation is always the same no matter how subtle sometimes, the single woman is left on the shelf where as they man is the bachelor about town.
That still pervades even today, it’s nonsense and an over simplification.
It’s a fact the women are keener on marriage than men but to still peddle the above scenario as a catch all is nonsense in today’s world !
Best
Rod
Rod said,
January 23, 2009 @ 9:26 am
LB
I think you raise a couple of good points. This is a broad topic and I believe the reasons for the majority of women being unmarried are broad and many fold.
For example I read today that a lot of couples with children are faking a split as they get a huge rise in benefits if separated rather than together !
Whilst this must be a relatively small number there are probably many smalller factors like this that all add up in the end.
I think you make one killer point - expectations
I think an awful lot of men and women have unrealistic expectations of not only each other but life in general (look at personal debt for proof of that)
This then breeds dissatisfaction simply because you do not have the perfect partner or lifestyle you dream about.
Because something, or somebody, does not match up to a fantasy does not mean it is no good and you can’t be happy if only people could sort their heads out !
Cheers
Rod
Femme Fatale said,
January 23, 2009 @ 7:12 pm
Rod,
Many of us are single because men get to a certain age and think that the grass is going to be greener on the other side
FF
xx
Little Brother said,
January 23, 2009 @ 10:06 pm
Femme Fatal,
It often is !!!!
LB
Rod said,
January 24, 2009 @ 9:03 am
FF
it gets worse !
when men get to my age they see the greener grass on the other side but can’t be bothered to walk over there
They’d probably be too tired to graze after the walk anyway
Regards
Rod
Witches of Eastwick said,
January 24, 2009 @ 10:58 am
FF,
Who said anything about grazing….. sweep the yard and put a pot of tea on surely that’s what most women over a certain age want anyway, the male mind is always barking up the wrong tree
WoE