But just because it's difficult to make friends after 30 doesn't mean it's impossible. While one 2020 study found that more than 3 in 5 Americans consider themselves lonely, citing a lack of social support and meaningful interactions as the main cause, it certainly doesn't have to be that way.
Probably the top reason why it's difficult to make friends after you're 30 is that by that point in their lives, most people typically have children that tend to require a lot of time. So, unless you're in the same boat, with kids of your own, it can be extremely difficult finding people your age to socialise with.
While 150 is the average number within a population, there's a fair amount of variability between individuals, reflecting personality and age. You tend to have more friends when you're younger—between 200 and 250—and you whittle them down to 150 in your 30s.
Having around 3-5 really close friends should be enough for most of us in our 30's. If you are in a stable relationship, having two other couples you meet once a week or every other week can be enough.
Some aspects of dating in your 30s make the process harder—such as a shrinking candidate pool. You can no longer meet potential partners at school and probably aren't attending parties and social gatherings as often.
Whether you're 35 or 75, it's never too late to fall madly (or gently and even sacredly) in love. Just ask actress Ellen Burstyn and a host of other women who found themselves in the heat of romance when they least expected it. My mother met the love of her life when she was 84.
Are you in your mid-thirties and still single? If you are, you're not alone. About 56% of people in their thirties are married, while the other 44% of thirty-somethings are single.
According to “The Friendship Report,” a global study commissioned by Snapchat in 2019, the average age at which we meet our best friends is 21—a stage when we're not only bonding over formative new experiences such as first love and first heartbreak, but also growing more discerning about whom we befriend.
Some people have higher social needs than others, which means they may want to have a greater number of friends. Those who value their alone time may need fewer friends, and that's OK too. In general, based on 2021 survey data, the average person in America has between 3 and 5 close friends.
According to a study conducted by researchers at Aalto and Oxford universities, 25 is "peak friendship" age, and after that, they tend to dwindle.
Either way, your 30s can be the perfect time to meet new people. It's likely that you know yourself and are more comfortable in your own skin than you were a decade ago. You have a clearer idea of what you want, and are less prepared to waste time on the wrong person.
Regardless of lifestyle, personal well-being tends to bottom out in people's 30s. Why? Because as 30-somethings shed the impractical expectations they carried through their 20s, age, economic realities, and social changes deliver a combination punch that, emotionally speaking, puts many on their ass.
When you're working hard to achieve your goals and move up in your career, maintaining social connections can become challenging. Factor in the rise of hustle culture, and the societal pressure to succeed at a young age, and there's no wonder people in their 30s are feeling lonelier — and more stressed — than ever.
The study shows that both men and women continue to make more and more friends until the age of 25, when the numbers begin falling rapidly and continue to fall throughout the rest of a person's life.
Obviously, most people don't meet all of their friends during childhood and, unfortunately, not all friendships last forever. The poll found that the average friendship lasts for 17 years, however, 17 percent say they've had the same best friend for over 30 years!
Research tells us that, for both men and women, the age of 25 is when most of us start losing friends. “Suddenly, your friends disappear, or you all start taking new life directions as you graduate from college,” Jackson says. “You adopt new values. And so, you look up, and you think, 'Where did all my people go?
You're Just Starting The Happiest Years of Your Life
Research shows that for most people, real happiness begins around age 33. If you're 30 and single, that means you can do anything you want—including finding someone to share it with, or not.