Fact or fiction?: There are more married couples today in the United States than ever before.

Fiction.

Currently, 28% of all households consist of only one individual – a historic high. In addition, only 51% of adults are married.

Fact or fiction?: Singles contribute $1.9 trillion to the economy each year.

Fact.

Singles are beginning to emerge as a major market for business advertising.

A recent Fortune article highlights Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone, a book by New York University professor of sociology Eric Klinenberg that breaks down myths about singles (he contends, for example, that most are unmarried by choice) and describes their spending habits.

Here’s an excerpt:

They spend more discretionary dollars than their married counterparts. Their average per capita annual expenditure was $34,471 in 2010, compared with $28,017 for married individuals without kids and $23,179 per person in the highest-spending families with children. Singletons play an essential role in revitalizing cities and public spaces. They’re more likely to eat in cafés and restaurants, go to a gym, take art classes, attend public events and volunteer. A majority of singletons are women.

Interesting info. Check out the full story.