To think most people will be mostly single in future

I think most people will always want to be in a relationship.

They may not want marriage, but they do want to have an intimate relationship with someone and have that companionship.

They also want to have other experiences with friends. To travel, to have fun and be active.

Friendships can't help with this? Or only romantic connections?

Yes and I predict many solo Mums like myself. I afford it as I’ve had a decent career and inheritance. My teenage son and myself are very happy. He’ll be off to university September I don’t intend to risk his inheritance on the type of men I’ve met. I might date again but they’d have to worship me and be rich and keep their own house.

No, I don't think most people will be single in the future. It doesn't matter what your sexual bias is, people generally like to pair up, it's human nature. Sure, some people prefer to be single and independent but it's not what most people want to do is what I'm saying.

While I'm about it, from reading many of the threads on MN you would think that almost everyone is unhappy with their marriage, all men are hopeless and do nothing to help out and every woman is reaching for the door or has already done so. There is a narrative that it's not worthwhile a woman looking for a life partner because its tantamount to a lifetime of servitude. All I can say is that in my experience its not like that. I fully appreciate that not all marriages succeed and we sometimes suffer terrible physical and emotional abuse from our partners in the process of a relationship breakdown. I'm aware of the statistic that 1/3 of marriages end in divorce but in 32 couples in my friendship circle and family stretching back over a period of 30 years only 1 of the couples have divorced. Unexpected widowhood has affected more of the couples in my friendship circle than divorce. I don't know the reason for the low incidence of divorce, perhaps for many of them, money appears not to be a problem they have to deal with. All I'm saying is that more marriages succeed than fail, lots of couples are happy, more men are emotionally mature and supportive than not.

In places like the Uk, Northern Europe possibly, in other cultures I’d say not.

You can change your vote.

Isn’t this happening already? I think it is also a driver behind falling birth rates in many places.

Societal changes means for many now relationships are optional which means they date differently leading to more being single. Single is my default (much to my family’s chagrin) and I know a fair few women (and some men) like me. Especially among my group of friends and acquaintances.

Can I ask how old you are? Just I agree with you when you said about the expectations we had about romance when we were young. Tbf I think we (women) have been lied to about romance from the start. I’m mid 30s and even from an early age looking back now I see how we were manipulated into thinking finding your prince was the main thing you needed to achieve in life. It did get better in the late 90s/00s.

Why “sad” about other people’s life choices?? How smarmy and condescending.

The planet is overpopulated and burning. Many worthy species are suffering and getting killed off daily due to human incursion, pollution, violence. Competition for dwindling resources is getting worse, as is climate change. Many humans suffer greatly every day.

Fewer people on Earth would be a positive. The fact that humans are finding other interesting and enriching life paths instead of automatically and mindlessly bio-breeding is a good thing, not something to lament.

I agree OP.
Only because I am single and have no financial worries. Lots of great friends and freedom. I can feel lonely at times, but that’s nothing compared to the devastating feeling of knowing you’re in yet another relationship with someone who sees you only there to cater for their needs. I am a very loving person, but I have my DC to pour that in to and I can now also pour it into myself. Rather than giving it to someone who just wants more and more and never gives back. I’m sick of being an emotional support person for dysfunctional men.

I read posts about people in loveless marriages with children they resent and I feel sad for those posters.

Horses for courses.

Doubt it. Who can afford to live alone these days?

The trouble is women have changed and men have not. Until a bridge can be found nothing will change.

I Live with a very dear old friend. Our relationship is very loving and close but platonic. We share a lot of time and interests and household chores, expenses, cooking, run a car between us. It's bliss. No sexual tension, our own wonderful individual bedrooms to sleep in at night, companionship and work through our separate worries and problems together when they arise.

Sounds lovely

This. In spades!

Why are you sad though? People make their own choices. Not everyone wants a family, marriage and children. Raising children sounds utterly boring to me. I honestly couldn’t think of anything worse. But that’s my opinion. Doesn’t mean it’s fact. Doesn’t mean it’s right. I’m also from a loving family and certainly not sad that people choose a different lifestyle from me.

I genuinely could not agree more. This idea has the simplicity of genius.

Working on the land, washing, making clothes etc was still primarily at home though. Women weren't going out providing alone like single parents now.
In the situation they did become single parents the children often ended up with family or in workhouses, or the mums ended up in prostitution out of desperation. They weren't managing both or single mums working long hours whilst having children in functional families.

😂😂😂 I’ve had them women only and men only commune talks with my friends.

I read these posts and feel so sad that so many people now don't seem to see any joy and happiness in children, family and marriage.

I have a decent career but it's my children and family that are the greatest light of my life and I know the same is true for many people I know.

And I'm not someone from a conservative/religious background where these values are esteemed culturally or anything.... Just from a very loving family. Just saddens me so many don't have this experience

Female peasant were working too, while they had children, on the land, darning, washing, service etc. They weren't just in the home. Then they died in childbirth and their husbands married someone else. It was mainly the industrialist classes who had man working and woman at home, and the upper classes who had neither doing very much apart from managing their staff.

I think being single will be a more accepted lifestyle choice, maybe fewer elderly relatives questioning when you are going to find yourself a nice boy/girl to settle down with, but I expect the majority will still try to find someone.

I am married to one of the ‘good ones’. We have been empty-nesters for a few years now and are planning lots of trips. We get on really well.

My friend is also married to a good guy.

However, we still have wistful ‘jokey’ moments where we think after the menopause, wouldn’t it be nice if all the women lived together and all the men lived together once the child-rearing was over. I reckon we might just all have more fun that way ;-)