Women are happier being single than men are because being in a relationship is harder work for women, new research suggests.

According to a study by data analysts Mintel, 61 per cent of single women are happy being single, versus 49 per cent of single men.

The survey also found that 75 per cent of single women have not actively looked for a relationship in the last year, compared to 65 per cent of single men.

And the proposed reason for this is that for women, being in a heterosexual relationship is actually a lot of hard work, and generally requires more effort and labour than for men.

“There’s evidence that women spend longer on domestic tasks than men and I think they also do more emotional work - so they still do more housework and cooking and things as well as more emotional labour,” Professor Emily Grundy, of the University of Essex, told The Telegraph.

From spending more time and money on upkeep of your appearance, doing more chores and putting more effort into resolving problems or arguments, being in a heterosexual relationship typically involves a lot of effort for a woman.

What’s more, women are simply happier being single than men are. We’re better at socialising by ourselves and are more likely to have close friends we feel we can turn to in times of need. 

“Women tend to be better at having alternative social networks and other confidantes whereas men tend to rely quite heavily on their wives for that and have fewer other social ties,” Dr Grundy explains.

“Certainly there’s a common finding from a lot of studies that women who don’t have a partner tend to do more social activities and more friends compared to women with partners whereas with men it’s the reverse - men without a partner tend to do much less of that.

“So it may be that women have a wider range of alternatives,” she said. 

There’s also the fact that the stigma of being a single woman is gradually changing. 

The concept of spinsters and bachelors is on the way out, and society is finally realising that yes, many single women aren’t in relationships because they’re actually happy being independent, doing whatever they want with their time, and they don’t actually need anyone else.