Does Single hold up?

Single: Living a Complete Life on Your Own Terms, by Nicola Slawson (2025)

Experiences of single people from their twenties to widowhood, grown from the newsletter The Single Supplement.

The short answer

Yes, if 'single' means not living in a couple; the figure covers England and Wales.

The claims, checked

Around 40% of UK adults are single at any one time.

Holds with conditions About 39.5% of people aged 16 and over in England and Wales did not live in a couple in 2024. Some have partners who live elsewhere, and the figure does not cover Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Evidence: Office for National Statistics, 2024