These 89 People Love Being Single And Living Alone, And Here Are The Perks They Can’t Give Up

Not too long ago, many people viewed being single in a negative light—as a sign of loneliness, incompleteness, or even personal failure. For much of human history, coupling up was treated as the expected path, and marriage was often seen as an important marker of adulthood, stability, and success. But attitudes toward singlehood have gradually changed.

Today, more people are choosing to focus on their independence, careers, friendships, personal goals, and happiness rather than entering a relationship simply because they feel they are supposed to. In fact, The Economist estimated that the world had at least 100 million more single people in 2025 than it would have had if coupling rates had remained as high as they were in 2017.

The numbers show just how common singlehood has become across different parts of the world. China had approximately 200 million single adults as of 2018. Canada had around 18.27 million single people in 2022, while England and Wales recorded more than 28 million single people in 2020. In France, approximately 27.7 million people, or 41.3% of the population, were single in 2018. Of course, being single can mean different things to different people, and these figures include people of various ages and life circumstances. Still, they reflect a broader shift in the way many people think about relationships and living independently.

So, what has contributed to this change? In the past, singlehood was often associated with loneliness, failure, or the idea that someone was still waiting for their life to truly begin. But over time, more people have started viewing it as a valid lifestyle and an opportunity to better understand themselves. There are now plenty of books, podcasts, and conversations exploring the idea that being single does not necessarily mean being unhappy or incomplete.

One person who has written about this shift is John Kim, a licensed therapist, speaker, and author of Single on Purpose: Redefine Everything. Find Yourself First. Drawing from his own experiences after a painful divorce, Kim reflects on how he had moved from one relationship to another throughout much of his adult life without spending enough time understanding who he was on his own. His book encourages readers to see singlehood not as a waiting room before the next relationship but as a period that can offer space for reflection, personal growth, and self-discovery.

Kim challenges the belief that being single automatically means being lonely, incomplete, or somehow “behind” in life. He argues that loneliness is not necessarily a sign that something is wrong. Sometimes, it can be an emotional reminder to reconnect with yourself, your interests, your values, or the people who matter to you. The goal is not to avoid relationships or convince yourself that you never need anyone. Instead, it is about becoming comfortable in your own company and learning not to depend on a relationship, constant attention, or digital distractions to feel worthy or fulfilled.

The book also encourages people to give themselves some of the care, time, and attention they might normally reserve for a romantic partner. That could mean investing in hobbies, working toward personal or career goals, taking care of your physical and mental well-being, or simply making time for activities that bring you joy. Rather than treating single life as a pause before something better comes along, the idea is to build a meaningful life in the present; whether or not a relationship eventually becomes part of it.