Never married? Lifelong singles face greater health risks, but personality traits may hold the key

BREMEN, Germany — In a world increasingly focused on independence and self-fulfillment, more adults are choosing to remain single throughout their lives. Now, an extensive study spanning 27 European countries reveals distinctive personality patterns among lifelong singles, offering crucial insights into how society might better support this growing demographic.

The study, conducted by an international team from universities in Bremen, Zurich, Berlin, and Toronto, examined over 77,000 Europeans, providing the first cross-cultural examination of personality traits and life satisfaction among singles compared to those who have been partnered. Researchers investigated multiple definitions of singlehood, distinguishing between people who have never married, never lived with a partner, or never been in any serious relationship.

“When there are differences, they might be especially important in elderly people who face more health issues and financial issues,” explains Julia Stern, one of the lead authors and a senior researcher at the University of Bremen in Germany, in a statement. “They need more help, and the help is usually the partner.”

The study, published in Psychological Science, found that lifelong singles generally showed lower levels of extraversion and conscientiousness compared to those who had experienced partnership. These differences varied based on how singlehood was defined, with the most pronounced disparities appearing in people who had never been in any serious relationship, rather than those who had simply never married.

Drawing from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), researchers analyzed participants with an average age of 68.5 years, ranging from 22 to 105 years old. The vast majority – 87.9% – were parents, with 57.1% women and 42.9% men. By examining this large, diverse sample, researchers could identify reliable patterns while accounting for differences across countries and cultures.

The study measured personality using the “Big Five” traits: extraversion (sociability and assertiveness), neuroticism (emotional instability), conscientiousness (organization and responsibility), agreeableness (warmth and cooperation), and openness to experience (curiosity and creativity). Life satisfaction was also assessed through direct questions about overall contentment and quality of life.

To ensure precise analysis, the researchers categorized participants into distinct groups: those who had never married, never cohabitated with a partner, or never been in a serious long-term relationship. This careful categorization revealed that individuals who had never experienced any serious relationship scored lower on extraversion, openness to experience, and life satisfaction compared to both currently single people who had previous relationship experience and those in current partnerships.

While the study cannot definitively determine whether personality differences cause people to remain single or if singlehood influences personality development, the evidence suggests selection effects play a primary role. Stern notes that personality changes from relationships tend to be temporary and minimal. “It’s more likely you have these selection effects: For example, people who are more extraverted are more likely to enter a relationship,” she explains, while emphasizing that these are average effects that don’t describe everyone’s experience.

The research revealed intriguing variations across different European countries. In nations with higher proportions of singles, and in countries with higher proportions of men, certain personality differences between singles and partnered individuals became more pronounced. Contrary to expectations, a country’s religiosity did not significantly influence the findings.

Interestingly, these personality differences varied based on several factors. Men showed more pronounced trait differences between singles and partnered individuals than women did. Age also played a role – older singles reported smaller differences in neuroticism compared to their partnered peers. Additionally, singles with higher incomes showed fewer differences in conscientiousness from partnered individuals.

Gender also emerged as an important factor: single women reported higher life satisfaction than single men, and older singles showed greater contentment with their status than middle-aged singles. This age-related finding suggests that as people move beyond the life stages when their peers are typically marrying and starting families, they may develop greater acceptance of their single status.

The findings have important implications, particularly since previous research has linked both life satisfaction and certain personality traits like extraversion and conscientiousness to health outcomes and mortality. This emphasizes the need to develop targeted support systems for older singles.

“There are differences between people who stay single their entire lives and people who get partnered, and for me this means that we have to take extra care of these people,” Stern emphasizes. She advocates for developing innovative programs to combat loneliness that consider these personality differences and help older singles connect with like-minded individuals. “If they have people who care for them or look out for them regularly, this might help.”

Understanding the personality traits associated with lifelong singlehood marks just the beginning of a larger societal conversation. As traditional support systems evolve and single-person households multiply, tomorrow’s challenge lies in building communities that nurture well-being across all relationship statuses – recognizing that there are many ways to live a fulfilled life.