VIENNA, Jan. 29  -- Almost one-third of Austrians aged between 18 and 69 are single, a study revealed Thursday.

The survey was based on an interview of 1,540 people, from whom it was extrapolated that 1.7 million Austrians or 29 percent in the given age range did not have a partner.

Most singles live in the cities of Vienna and Salzburg, with 36 percent of people single, while the states of Lower Austria, Upper Austria, and Carinthia recorded the lowest number of singles at 25 percent each.

A total of 38 per cent of those interviewed have been single for more than three years, 26 percent for less than a year, while 17 percent have never been in a relationship.

Women in particular had a stronger tendency to remain single in the long-term, with almost half of those single having been so for more than three years, compared to only 27 percent of men.

A total of 64 percent of singles wished for a committed relationship, but only 10 percent stated they were actively looking for a partner.