Single women lead happier, longer lives, says study

Unmarried females who don’t have children outlive those who have tied the knot

A new study has revealed women who remain single forever and don’t have children are the most content and outlive their married counterparts, reported Fox News. The research was concluded by Paul Dolan, a behavioural science professor at the London School of Economics.

Dolan, a best-selling author whose most recent book, Happy Ever After: Escaping the Myths of the Perfect Life, analysed data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) found that married people said they were happier overall but only when their partner was within earshot.

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“Married people are happier than other population subgroups, but only when their spouse is in the room when they’re asked how happy they are. When the spouse is not present: really miserable,” Dolan said on the sidelines of the Hay Festival in Wales on Sunday.

“We do have some good longitudinal data following the same people over time but I am going to do a massive disservice to that science and just say: If you’re a man, you should probably get married but if you’re a woman, don’t bother.”

Married men take fewer risks and “calm down” and therefore are healthier than their single counterparts, whereas women did not see the same benefits. Women’s health was mainly unaffected by marriage, but middle-aged married women reported more mental and physical problems than single ones.

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“You take less risks, you earn more money at work and you live a little longer. She, on the other hand, has to put up with that and she dies sooner than if she never married. The healthiest and happiest population subgroups are women who never married or had children,” Dolan stated.

Despite the fact that never getting married may be better for women overall, there are still stigmas associated with never tying the knot. “You see a single woman of 40, who has never had children — ‘Bless, that’s a shame, isn’t it? Maybe one day you’ll meet the right guy and that’ll change.’ No, maybe she’ll meet the wrong guy and that’ll change. Maybe she’ll meet a guy who makes her less happy and healthy, and die sooner,” he concluded.

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