Why single people are hurting the economy

As if singletons needed any more outside pressure on their romantic lives, here's a little more: unmarried people may be dragging down the whole economy.

Gallups Frank Newport and Joy Wilke found that the economy would benefit from more marriages taking place. Their recent survey of more than 130,000 people found that those who are married spend more.

Married Americans report a daily spending average of $102, followed by $98 among those who are living in domestic partnerships, $74 by divorced Americans, $67 by those who are single and never married, and $62 by those who are widowed. [A]cross all age groups, those who are married spend more than those of other marital statuses.

Married Americans spend more than the average American in part because they have higher-than-average income. Single Americans spend less, in part because they have lower- than-average incomes.