However, Susanne Sorenson, from the Alzheimer's Society, had some words of cheer for partnerless people.

BBC: Singles 'face Alzheimer's risk'

Another McKinsey study in 2007 revealed that 54% of the senior women executives surveyed were childless compared with 29% of the men (and a third were single, nearly double the proportion of partnerless men).

ECONOMIST: Schumpeter