Others have put aside a little in a savings account or building society which is fine for short term savings but doesn't really offer a chance for the money to grow into a worthwhile sum. Many who have saved watched the demand of the early years of marriage swallow up their nest egg and never had enough incentive to replace it later on, thinking that everything would be provided for. On average a woman can expect to live longer than a man. For a married woman the implications are obvious but a single woman will also face the possibility that later in life she will have fewer friends and relatives around. In neither case is this a time for financial hardship.
Some women manage to lead active and fulfilling lives in their later years even when living alone.
But in the majority of cases these are women who have made, or made for them, provision for their financial security. It is possible to be happy, active and fulfilled on the State old age pension. Anyway, State Pensions all over the world are being drastically reduced. Make a commitment to save something out of your pay packet. The statistics of the divorce rate don't always prove that marriage is in a bad state.