American Singles Are Warming to Marriage Again, 15 Years of Singles in America Data Show

After years of headlines about Americans giving up on romance, the nation’s singles appear to be changing their minds. The 15th annual Singles in America survey — conducted by the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University with funding from Match — finds unmarried adults moving back toward committed relationships, even as they redefine what commitment should look like.

The study is the longest-running of its kind, having now surveyed more than 80,000 people over fifteen years. The 2026 edition drew on a demographically representative sample of roughly 5,000 single adults aged 18 and older.

The clearest reversal: wanting a partner at all

The most striking shift concerns the desire for partnership itself. The share of singles who said they do not want a relationship climbed steadily to a peak of 32% in 2021, but has since fallen to 24% in 2026. Over the longer arc, the change is bigger still: in 2010, only 33% of singles said they would like to marry someday; by 2026, that figure had risen to 45%.

Marriage, reimagined rather than revived

The researchers caution that this is not a simple return to tradition. The ideal age for marrying has risen, as has the ideal length of time couples expect to date before a wedding. And roughly 30% of respondents said they would be open to a long-term committed relationship with no intention of marrying at all.

Taken together, the data describe a population that still wants deep, lasting attachment but is increasingly flexible about the legal and social packaging around it. Singles are taking longer, choosing more deliberately, and separating the question “do I want a life partner?” from “do I want a wedding?”

For anyone navigating modern dating, the fifteen-year view offers a useful correction to the doom narrative: the appetite for love has not disappeared — it has matured.

Source: Scienmag