Why hasn’t love arrived yet? A new study now offers some answers — and higher education may actually be working against Cupid.
Whether single by choice or yearning for romance, many adults get this question: Why hasn’t love arrived yet? A new study now offers some answers — and higher education may actually be working against Cupid.
Researchers from the University of Zurich tracked more than 17,000 participants from the UK and Germany, beginning when they were just 16 years old and had never been in a relationship. The group was followed annually until age 29, with researchers closely monitoring their personal traits, emotional wellbeing, and social circumstances.
The findings: Those most likely to remain single for longer periods were people with higher levels of education. Living arrangements also played a decisive role — participants who continued living with their parents or lived entirely alone were significantly more likely to stay unattached. Men, too, were found to remain single for longer, particularly when coupled with lower happiness levels.
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'Our results demonstrate that both socio–demographic factors such as education, and psychological characteristics such as current well–being, help predict who will enter into a romantic relationship and who won't,' co–lead author Michael Kramer said.
Interestingly, the study revealed that sharing a home with friends or flatmates appeared to improve relationship prospects, suggesting that social environments may act as silent matchmakers.
The researchers then examined the emotional cost of prolonged singlehood, comparing consistent singles with those who eventually found partners. Young adults who stayed single for years experienced a noticeable drop in life satisfaction and a steady rise in loneliness.
By their late 20s, these emotional struggles intensified, coinciding with the emergence of depressive symptoms. The pattern held true for both men and women.
Yet there was a striking turnaround for those who entered their first romantic relationship. Emotional wellbeing rebounded quickly, underscoring the powerful link between partnership and mental health.
'Overall, our findings show that remaining single for a prolonged period in young adulthood is associated with moderate risks to well–being,' Dr Krämer said.
While adolescence showed little difference between those who would later partner up and those who wouldn’t, the gap widened sharply with time.
'This suggests that entering a first relationship may become more difficult when people are in their late 20s – especially since lower well–being also increases the likelihood of remaining single for longer,' Dr Krämer added.
Writing in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the researchers concluded: 'Young adults with lower well–being, male gender, higher education, and living alone or with parents stayed single longer.'
Adding to the modern dating narrative, a separate recent study found that singles who want children are more attracted to older–looking partners.
Experts noted that this preference had nothing to do with wealth or perceived parenting ability. Instead, older individuals may simply project greater emotional stability or appear more ‘ready’ for parenthood.
