Why do young men have no female friends?
34%
34% of men with no female friends say they rarely meet women naturally in daily life.
n = 7,014 single US men aged 18-35 · Fielded 2026 · Cherry Data Signals
Breakdown
Rarely meet women naturally in daily life34%
Social life revolves around gaming, online spaces or male friendship groups22%
Friendships with women feel complicated18%
0%50%100%
Asked of men who reported no female friends.
What it means
Opportunity, not reluctance, is the leading explanation. Only around one in five cite the awkwardness of attraction or mixed signals.
Methodology
- Sample
- 7,014
- Population
- single US men aged 18-35
- Country
- United States
- Fielded
- 2026
- Research by
- Cherry Data Signals
- Study
- The female friend gap
Cite this statistic
Cherry Data Signals (2026). "Why do young men have no female friends?" Survey of 7,014 single US men aged 18-35, United States. https://cherrysignals.com/statistics/why-young-men-have-no-female-friends
Free to reproduce with attribution to Cherry Data Signals and a link to this page.
Related statistics
- How many young single men have no female friends?60%
- How many young men have given up trying to find a partner?73%
- Do men without female friends want them?44%
- How do dating apps affect how young men feel about dating?52%
- Why don't young men meet women offline?48%
- What do young men think friendships with women would do for them?58%
- How often do content professionals cite original research?82%
- Why do writers include research in content?41%
Need an original statistic for your own story?
Explore Survey ResearchResearch by Cherry Data Signals