These new sex and relationship statistics are incredibly grim

On Valentine’s Day, CNN shared a romance statistic: We’re at a 30-year low for sex and dating, with marriages and partnerships declining as people get younger.

These numbers were published in the 2021 General Social Survey, which found some curious results showing generational shifts in dating and romance.

The results of the survey show that these low numbers are not due to the pandemic. This trend has been going on for years and is reinforced by every new survey. In 2021, 26% of Americans over the age of 18 had not had sex in the past year. While that percentage was higher than in previous years, polls in 2016 and 2018 showed 23%.

Photo by Becca Tapert via Unsplash

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CNN argues that this phenomenon is not limited to sex. Figures from the Pew Research Center say that 62% of Americans between the ages of 25 and 54 were married or cohabiting, a lower number than in previous years. According to Pew polls, the economy appears to be influencing people’s decision to get married, with many saying they will not marry unless it is financially feasible.

Finally, the results show that this trend has more to do with the way people think than their age. People over 55 still have the same dating and sex trends as they did 30 years ago. They are younger people whose interest has waned.

While news like this causes alarm for many people, especially the elderly, perhaps we shouldn’t start calling for the end of humanity just yet.

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Many single people are now happier and more confident than they used to be, and are shifting their priorities until the time is right for them or until they have fulfilled their professional accomplishments. Perhaps the prospect of marriage and children is less appealing when the economy is shrinking, we’re in the midst of a pandemic, and the threat of global warming lurks around the corner.