—Adults living alone are currently one of the fastest growing demographics in America. Nearly a third of households now consist of one person, and the number of Americans living alone has doubled in the last fifty years.—
I’m sure our ultra high divorce rate is behind that, plus all the runaway “fathers” in some “cultures” in America.
Some of it is death of a spouse. Some of it is single-by-choice young people. Some of it is widowed or never-married parents whose youngest has moved out.
Not everyone is 25-49 with young kids. Divorce often also results in 2 multi-person (blended families with kids from previous marriages) families.
Having experienced one divorce and one death of a spouse and now being in a 40-year marriage, I find it simplistic to rant about what other people choose to do. Sometimes divorce is the best alternative. I had a spouse who was serially unfaithful with people of questionable hygiene, for example. Staying married to that was not an option for anyone with healthy self-esteem and a young child. Certainly no one is responsible for the death of their spouse unless they were a murderer.
Not everyone hates living alone, either. I know several people who had wonderful marriages and are now single because of death and enjoying it. They have friends and a social life, but don’t choose to live with anyone in particular. Men, especially, seem to enjoy not being told what to do and not being financially responsible for another adult later on in life. People with assets are often loathe to combine them in a second or third marriage.
Different strokes............