Why Gen Z Is Waiting to Date
Survey data consistently tell us that dating is declining and sex is receding among Gen Z, especially for young men. But the following stats don’t tell us what it feels like, or why so many young people are putting off romance.
In 1976, 86 percent of American high-school seniors said they had ever dated. By 2016, it had fallen to 57 percent. In 2024, it was 46 percent, according to Monitoring the Future data.
The decline is more pronounced for young men, as young women tend to date older men. 63% of men ages 18–29 described themselves as single in 2022, versus 34% of women. (A 12-point rise…
The skinny
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