Singles are taking over the nation. For the first time, most American adults aren't married. But fewer marriages mean fewer kids and eventually, fewer taxpayers. This may be bad news for government sponsored retirement programs. Without reform, economists predict the new singles majority will threaten funding for retiree benefits. On the other hand, the surge in singles may help save money on welfare programs.

More than 124 million Americans, or 50.2 percent, are single, said economist Edward Yardeni, who analyzed U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data in the August jobs report. Singles include never married, widowed and divorced adults over age 16. When the government started gathering such statistics in 1976, 37.4 percent were single. It has been rising since.

In the interactive map above, Louisiana, Rhode Island and New York had the highest percentage of adult singles in 2012, based on U.S. Census data-crunching by The Martin Prosperity Institute and Citylab. Utah and Idaho had the lowest percentage of singles.

A 'demographic gridlock'

If singles continue to reign, there may not be enough kids in coming decades to balance the ratio of retirees to workers, said Yardeni, president of Yardeni Research. Bad timing, as the youngest baby boomers turn 67 in 2031, when they will qualify for full Social Security benefits. Once the country's largest generational group starts cashing in on Social Security and Medicare, there won't be enough younger workers paying taxes to replenish the system. The problem is compounded by the fact that Americans are living longer than previous generations. Social Security will also run out in 2031 unless taxes are raised or benefits lowered, the Congressional Budget Office projects. Medicare spending is rising even faster—its main hospital fund is expected to dry up by 2030, the program's trustees wrote in their annual report.