When do people start seeing themselves as 'single'?

[goingoutside]

Couldn't work out how to word this.

If someone has never had a partner, from what age do you count the start of their singleness?

It's a silly question I can't really ask IRL

As in 'I've been single for ___ years'.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone phrase it like this, I think you’d say something like “I’ve never been in a relationship”

Online I see people saying they have been single for , which seems very strange.

I’d say always been single or from 18 I guess. But being single from birth is also accurate so no harm in saying that.

'I've been single my whole adult life' or 'I've never had a relationship'