Married women with children are significantly more likely to describe themselves as “very happy” compared to single or childless women, according to a new study.
The 2025 Women’s Well-being Survey (WWS), conducted by YouGov and commissioned by the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) and the Wheatley Institute, surveyed 3,000 women between the ages of 25 to 55 across the US.
The findings from the report, In Pursuit: Marriage, Motherhood, and Women’s Well-Being, suggest that marriage and motherhood offer meaningful boosts to women’s happiness, sense of purpose, and social connection.
The survey found that compared to unmarried women without children, married mothers are almost twice as likely to identify themselves as “very happy,” with almost half (47%) also saying that life feels enjoyable most of the time compared to just over a third of unmarried women without children (34%).
Married women, whether they have children (47%) or not (49%), were also far more likely to say they often receive physical affection such as hugs or kisses, with nearly half experiencing this compared to less than a quarter (23%) of unmarried mothers and just 13% of unmarried women without children.
The data further showed that women who receive greater frequency of physical touch are three times more likely to say they are very happy.
In addition, feelings of loneliness were significantly lower among married women, with only around one in 10 saying they experienced this frequently, compared to around one in five of their unmarried peers.
The report’s authors say the findings push back against the common belief that single women without children are happier.
Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University Jean Twenge remarked: "Pop culture portrayals, online forums and media headlines declaring single women without children are happier than married mothers are simply not true … our study challenges prominent cultural narratives by revealing that marriage and motherhood provide deep emotional and social benefits.”
Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia Brad Wilcox highlighted the role of real-world affection: “This is the first study to focus on touch, family, and women’s happiness, and we find that not only do married women report significantly higher levels of physical touch but also that their experience of regular physical touch seems to help explain why they are happier. Regular real-world touch may matter more in a world where contemporary Americans spend too much time in the virtual world.”
Another contributor, Jenet Erickson of the Wheatley Institute, pointed out that while motherhood may reduce time spent socialising with friends, it also fosters broader community ties through church, volunteering, and family networks.
She noted: “In our study, married mothers are just as likely to say they feel satisfied with their number of friends as other women.”
The study concludes that while marriage and parenting entail difficulties, they also provide women with a deeper sense of meaning and well-being.
Director of Research at IFS, Wendy Wang, stated: "Women are often told that staying single and child-free leads to the happiest and most fulfilling life, but our findings paint a complex yet hopeful picture of the benefits of marriage and motherhood in women’s lives.
"While marriage and motherhood are certainly challenging, our research makes it clear that married mothers are thriving in ways that challenge current stereotypes about family life."
