Science Says Men Are Happier in Relationships Than Women—Here’s Why

Relationships and Happiness: The Boost That Only One Gender Gets

Do you think love works the same way for everyone? Think again. Scientists have proven that this is a myth.

For one gender, a relationship is a genuine shot of energy, calm, and satisfaction, and for the other—only a slight mood improvement in a few areas of life.

Researchers from the University of Toronto and Western University examined over 3,000 individuals aged 18 to 39. Initially, all participants were single—for at least three months. After six months, the scientists checked who had entered a new relationship and how that affected their levels of happiness.

How Was the Study Conducted?

The participants were divided into three groups:

• Individuals who remained single throughout the period.
• Those who were in a relationship but broke up before the experiment ended.
• Individuals who started a relationship and were still in it.

The researchers asked them about their life satisfaction, contentment with intimate relationships, and feelings of loneliness. The goal was to check in which areas a relationship genuinely boosts well-being.

What Does a Relationship Give You?

Results published in the prestigious SAGE Journals showed that individuals in relationships feel better in three aspects:

• They feel less lonely.
• They are more often satisfied with their intimate life.
• They speak with greater pride about their relationship status.

Sound trivial? Not entirely. The biggest surprise lies in the differences between women and men.

Men Are Happier in Relationships Than Women

It was the men who entered a new relationship and remained in it who experienced the greatest increase in happiness.

They were more satisfied with their intimate life, reported fewer feelings of loneliness, and more often declared overall life satisfaction. Women also experienced an improvement, but to a significantly lesser extent.

Researchers suggest that this may stem from the fact that women often put more emotional labor into relationships, and their satisfaction level depends on the quality of the partnership—not merely the fact of being in one.

Relationships and Happiness: Not a Magic Cure

Although people in relationships did declare greater life satisfaction, the difference was not huge. In short, a partner may improve your mood, but they will not solve all your problems. You must take responsibility for some of your happiness yourself.

Singles showed an interesting trend—during the study, their satisfaction with intimate life and sense of fulfillment dropped. Even more intriguing were the results for those who fell in love… and broke up. Despite their relationships not lasting, they recorded a slight increase in erotic satisfaction.

Read this article in Polish: Kto jest szczęśliwszy w związku? Badania wskazują na mężczyzn