U.S. — More young adults in the U.S. are remaining single in 2026, citing financial strain, dating app fatigue, and a shift in how relationships factor into personal well-being. The average cost of a date in early 2026—including dinner, drinks, transportation, and pre-date grooming—reached $189, a 12.5% increase from $168 a year earlier, according to Bank of Montreal’s 2026 Real Financial Progress Index report.

Gen Z adults reported spending an average of $205 per date in 2026, up from $194 in 2025. Half of Gen Z respondents and 40% of millennials said dating expenses are interfering with their financial goals. Restaurant menu prices rose 31% between February 2020 and April 2025, a trend the National Restaurant Association attributed to inflationary pressure on operations.

Dating app engagement is also waning. Tinder’s monthly active users fell 7% in March 2026 compared to the same month in 2025. A 2026 global survey by analytics firm MyIQ found that 46% of adults aged 18 to 34 believe dating apps have made relationships feel more disposable. Nearly half of respondents in that age group said being single feels more peaceful than being in a relationship.

Sarah Meyer, managing director at MyIQ, said, “The affordability squeeze is clearly part of the context, because dating now sits alongside rent pressure, career instability, subscription costs, social expectations, and the general cost of maintaining an active social life.” She added, “Many younger adults are no longer treating relationships as proof of stability. They are asking whether a relationship adds to their sense of safety, focus, and self-understanding, or whether it introduces instability they have worked hard to avoid.”

Jason Fierstein, a licensed professional counselor and founder of Phoenix Men’s Counseling, said solo maxxing often “tries to reframe or justify an economic constraint as a lifestyle choice.” He described the trend as “avoidance dressed up as self-care” and warned that “loneliness and isolation from not having a partner carry as much health risk and concern as long-term smoking.”

Jess Carbino, a sociologist and former in-house sociologist for Tinder and Bumble, noted that while partnership rates have declined over two decades, solo maxxing reflects a new intentional stance. “Solo maxxing represents an amount of avoidance to conflict and diminishes our ability to learn about ourselves and others,” Carbino said.