Single Men Make Less Money…

Men who stay unmarried make anywhere from 10 to 40 percent less than married men, studies show. There’s evidence that fathers make up to 21 percent more than men without children, and studies suggest men with wives and kids work longer hours and put up with more workplace bullshit than single men. Now, this does not mean marriage and parenthood cause financial success (anecdotally, that sure doesn’t sound right). Indeed, other research argues that men are simply more likely to get married and have kids when their income is already rising. Either way, your unmarried, childless friends are probably making less money than you are.

…But They Also Have More Friends

They may not work very hard, but single men know how to spend their down time. Studies suggest they are significantly more likely than the average adult man to have several close friends. Since friendships help people live longer lives, stave off cognitive decline, and increase general well-being, close friends are precious public health commodities. Yet one in eight men report not having any friends at all. A lot of these men are married with kids.

Single Men Commit More Crimes…

Marriage reduces the likelihood that men will commit crimes, studies suggest, and data indicates that becoming a father quells criminal impulses even further. In societies with a disproportionate number of men who cannot marry or have children, either as a result of polygamy or uneven sex ratios, we tend to see higher crime rates, higher rates of extremism, and more time at war across the board.