In the Czech Republic, approximately 18% of people are living without a partner. However, women are more likely to remain single by choice and are happier with their situation, while men are more often single because they cannot find a partner, according to the results of the Contemporary Czech Family survey, conducted by researchers from Masaryk University and Charles University and released yesterday.
The second wave of the Contemporary Czech Family study was conducted last year, involving more than 3,700 respondents aged 21–74. The survey included an internationally comparable questionnaire module focused on single people, which the researchers used to find out how many people live without a partner, whether they are satisfied with their situation, why they are single, and whether and how they are actively looking for a relationship.
About 18% of people in the Czech Republic are not in a relationship: 16% of men and 21% of women. Among respondents who said they are single against their will, there are significant differences between men and women. 21% of men aged 21-29 and 24% of men aged 30-39 described themselves in this way, while for women, only 5% of women aged 21-29 and 13% of women aged 30-39 said they are single against their will.
About two-thirds of single people say that they aren’t opposed to a relationship, but are not actively seeking one. 7% of men and 18% of women say that being single is their choice.
“Although the overall proportion of involuntary singles among singles is not very high, it is relatively high among men in the youngest age group,” said Martin Kreidl, head of the Contemporary Czech Family project at Masaryk University. “A large group of young men yearn for a relationship but cannot find one, which has a significant impact on their life satisfaction.”
The most common reason given by people who do not have a partner is that they have not yet met the right person (61%). Respondents also often mentioned a fear of getting hurt (49%), a desire to live their own way (44%), and bad experiences from past relationships (43%).
Women are happier without a partner
Women are also more likely to say they are happy without a relationship. On a ten-point scale of satisfaction from life without a partner, where a higher value indicates greater satisfaction, men had an average value of 5.5 points, while women are on average 0.8 points more satisfied.
As people get older, the gap widens between men and women in terms of how actively they are seeking a relationship. In the youngest age group, the proportions are similar, but starting from the thirties, the gap begins to widen significantly, and women are notably less active in seeking relationships. For example, among those in their forties, 20% of single men are actively seeking a relationship, but only 5% of single women. “It seems that single women over 40 have come to terms with being single,'” said Kreidl.
Looking for love online
More than a half of single people who are looking for a partner use the Internet to meet others. 52% of single people use online dating sites, 49% use social media, and 37% use mobile dating apps. “Today, a large proportion of singles can no longer imagine dating without the Internet,” said Kreidl.
However, traditional ways of meeting people have not disappeared. Respondents reported still meeting potential partners through friends (58%), at school and work (34%), on vacation and business trips (28%), or at parties and other social events (20%).
The Contemporary Czech Family study, involving researchers from Masaryk University and Charles University, is part of the international Generations and Gender Programme. Since 2024, it has been funded by the Czech National Hub for Family Research, under the auspices of the Czech Ministry of Education.
Another wave of the Contemporary Czech Family survey will be conducted this year, in which previous respondents will be contacted again, in order to further examine how their individual and partnership trajectories change over time. More information about the research and its results can be found on the project website and on through Facebook and Bluesky.
