Nearly half of US women aged 25–44 could be single by 2030- study reveals

• Morgan Stanley forecasts that 45% of U.S. women aged 25–44 could be single by 2030, up from 41% in 2018.

• The trend is linked to women delaying marriage, choosing to remain single, later-life divorce and delaying or having fewer children.

• The report says the growing number of single working women could boost female workforce participation, wages and consumer spending, increasing women’s influence on the U.S. economy

Marriage and motherhood may be taking a different path for a growing number of women in the United States, with more women delaying marriage, remaining single or having children later in life.

According to a Morgan Stanley analysis, 45% of US women aged 25 to 44 could be single by 2030, up from 41% in 2018.

The financial services firm described the projected figure as the largest share in history, based on US Census Bureau historical data and Morgan Stanley forecasts.

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Morgan Stanley points to several factors behind the trend, including women delaying marriage, choosing to remain single and divorce among older women.

Women are also delaying childbirth or having fewer children than previous generations.

These changing lifestyle choices could have wider economic effects, particularly because more single women are participating in the workforce.

Morgan Stanley says the number of single women is expected to grow by 1.2% annually between 2018 and 2030, compared with 0.8% for the overall US population.

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According to the report, changing attitudes towards marriage and children could give more women the opportunity to work full-time and build their careers.

Morgan Stanley says increased participation in the workforce could contribute to higher wages for women and increased consumer spending.

The report also highlights women's growing economic influence. Women contribute an estimated $7 trillion to the US economy each year and are the principal shoppers in 72% of US households, according to figures cited by Morgan Stanley.

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Single women are also spending differently from the average household, with Morgan Stanley identifying areas such as clothing, footwear, personal care, eating out and automobiles as categories that could benefit from the growth of single women with rising incomes.

It is not a prediction that women will be child-free

While the report discusses women delaying childbirth or having fewer children, its 45% figure refers specifically to women who are single, not women who will be both single and child-free.

The projection therefore points to a broader change in how women approach marriage, work and family life, rather than predicting that nearly half of US women will choose not to have children.

For Morgan Stanley, the trend is also an economic one, as a growing population of single working women could have a significant influence on the US workforce, consumer spending and the wider economy.