Although marriage or long-term relationships are often seen as the norm, remaining single for life is becoming an increasingly common choice. While singlehood can provide independence and freedom, a new study reveals that it may also bring economic and emotional challenges, particularly as individuals’ age and become more dependent on others for support.

Published in the journal Psychological Science, the study highlights the lower life satisfaction and distinct personality traits of lifelong singles compared to their partnered peers.

"When there are differences, they might be especially important in elderly people who face more health issues and financial issues," said Julia Stern, one of the lead authors and a senior researcher at the University of Bremen in Germany. "They need more help, and the help is usually the partner."

The study used a survey of more than 77,000 Europeans over the age of 50 and was the first of its kind to look across cultures and at people who had been single their entire lives. Stern and colleagues compared single people and partnered individuals on life satisfaction ratings and the Big Five personality traits (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism). The findings revealed that, in addition to lower life satisfaction scores, lifelong singles are less extraverted, less conscientious, and less open to experience, compared to partnered people.

Although this study cannot definitively decipher if personality differences are due to selection, people with certain personality types may be more likely to start relationships, or socialization, long-term relationships could change personalities, the evidence points to the former. Stern said that changes to personality from being in a relationship are small and temporary. For instance, although an extraverted person beginning a new relationship may be keen to stay in with their partner, eventually their extraversion comes back.

But she warned that the results are average effects and not necessarily descriptive of everyone; of course, there are single extraverts and introverts in committed relationships.

For singles, living in a society where marriage is the expectation may affect their life satisfaction. For instance, in countries with higher marriage rates (such as southern European countries), singlehood resulted in even lower life satisfaction scores, but the effects were small.

Stern suggested developing new kinds of programs to prevent loneliness that take these personality traits into consideration and help older singles meet like-minded people.