A recent study found that people who have excellent, fulfilling relationships have higher life satisfaction and greater emotional well-being compared to those who do not have a relationship. This research sought the perspective of whether one is emotionally better off being single than in a relationship with cross-cultural understanding.

These findings were published in, The Evolutionary Psychological Science, measuring data among 6,338 participants from 12 different nations. The study concluded that life satisfaction and emotional well-being were higher among people in romantic relationships or marriages compared to single individuals.

“Participants who were in a relationship or married reported the highest life satisfaction and emotional well-being, while those involuntarily single reported the lowest levels.”

Using an evolutionary perspective to explore the human sense, the study asked whether people are emotionally better off alone or in a relationship. Some results were especially striking; most notably, relationship quality had a gigantic impact on emotional well-being: those who are in positive, healthy relationships reported the highest levels of emotional satisfaction, while those in unhappy or dysfunctional relationships experienced lower levels, although still higher than those who were involuntarily single.

The study further classified single participants by their reason for being single: those who are involuntarily single said they have the lowest life satisfaction and emotional well-being. Others, who are voluntarily single or between relationships, demonstrated moderate levels of satisfaction, hence it may seem that circumstances and a person's choice can play a role in the emotional impact of being single.

The results of the studies, however, indicated that whether they were married or in a committed relationship, on average people appeared to have higher life satisfaction as well as better emotional wellbeing than those who were single.

From this cross-national study, it appears that the positive effects of having a relationship to well-being are not culture-bound nor limited to any country, such as for instance the United States. The results highlight a general trend: relationship status, and specifically the quality of the relationship, is quite broadly associated with emotional well-being and life satisfaction across cultures. These findings contribute to the growing body of research on human emotional health and suggest that companionship and intimate connections continue to play an important role in human happiness.