Marriage rates are at an all-time low.

[AquaAthena]

Marriage Rate In America Drops Drastically

Barely half of Americans over the age 18 are married, according to a new report from the Pew Research Institute. The number of married couples dropped a startling five percent between 2009 and 2010 and has declined by more than 20 percent since 1960.

The report, released Wednesday, showed that Americans are not only getting married less frequently, they're doing so later in life. These findings mirror those observed in the UK in November, where researchers found that only 48 percent of adults there were married.

But what does this mean for society? And why does it matter at all? HuffPost Weddings spoke to Pew researcher and senior writer D'Vera Cohn to find out.

What are the major findings in this report?

We looked at three aspects of marriage and all of them had pretty notable numbers to them. We looked at how many adults are currently married -- among people over 18, how many of them have a spouse -- and we found that barely half of all adults now are married. That's declined quite a bit from the past. In 2010, again it was barely half -- 51 percent -- in 1960, it was 72 percent. The second thing we looked at was how many marriages are taking place from one year to the next. We have some recent data about that from the last few years from a census survey. So our second finding is that from 2009 to 2010, the number of marriages declined by five percent, which is a pretty notable decline. We don't know why, we can't really say for sure that it's the recession or bad economic times, but it's certainly one more sign that marriage is less important than it used to be in the lives of Americans. The third thing we looked at was how old are Americans when they get married for the first time. Among men who get married for the first time, half are nearly 29 years old or older, and among women who marry for the first time, half are about 27 years old or older. Back in the baby boom days it was early-20's, in the 1990's it was mid-20's, now we're talking late-20's, which means we're seeing a substantial number of people not get married until their 30s for the first time.

Why aren't people getting married?

There are a number of things going on that could play a role. One is that there are other kinds of living arrangements that are socially acceptable now that may not have been in the past, such as living with someone without being married, living on your own, or even living as a single parent. So people may feel they have options that they didn't used to have. Another factor in some cases is that among Americans who complete college, or education beyond that, they may want to get their education done and get launched in a career before they settle down and get married. From some surveys we've taken, we've had people say that it's important, at least for men, to be financially able to provide for a family before they get married. It may [also] be that some couples feel they don't have the financial wherewithal to have a wedding yet.

Why does it matter that people are getting married less or later in life?

Economically speaking, married couples tend to have more income and more wealth. Some of that might have to do with who chooses to get married, that is, people who are educated have less of a decline in their marriage rates than people who are less educated. We also know that the kind of partnership marriage encourages is one in which you plan for the future, share your assets, build wealth together. There isn't that evidence yet for people who live together. So it would be of concern if there's a growing gap between people who are married and people who aren't, in terms of the wealth and income that they have. Another thing to think about is that many of our organizations and institutions are built on the assumption that people are married, that doesn't mean that they can't change or shouldn't change, but it means there would be some adjustment. The third thing to think about is the living conditions and well being of children. There's research indicating that children have a higher likelihood of turning out well if they come from a household where their parents are married. Most children turn out well regardless of whether their parents are married or not, so I'm not at all trying to suggest that children will turn out badly if their parents aren't married. But there's a somewhat higher likelihood that they will face issues, and some of those may include economic hardship.

So that's why this matters. But who does it matter for?

It might matter for their children; it might matter for the institutions that they operate in, such as their employers and the nation's tax base. If, for example, people who aren't married are less able to build wealth, then that will affect the overall wealth of the country.

In your report, you note that about 40 percent of people overall said they believe marriage is obsolete, including 31 percent of married people -- that's surprising. Can you tell me more about that finding?

It kind of makes sense that people who are married would be less inclined to think marriage is obsolete than people who aren't. It also makes sense to me that people who are younger, who are growing up in an era where marriage is les common, would also be more likely to think that marriage is becoming obsolete. I'm also struck by the fact that a large percentage of people who say that marriage is obsolete still want to get married. I think they may be having two ideas in their head at once: one about the institution of marriage and what its status is in society today, which is to say that it's a lot less dominant, central or important in society, [and another about] their own wishes for their future, in which they personally would very much like to be married.

Marriage Rate In America Drops Drastically

Entitlements ( welfare ) are directly responsible for the breakup of the American family.

 

[NoNukes]

Marriage Rate In America Drops Drastically

Barely half of Americans over the age 18 are married, according to a new report from the Pew Research Institute. The number of married couples dropped a startling five percent between 2009 and 2010 and has declined by more than 20 percent since 1960.

The report, released Wednesday, showed that Americans are not only getting married less frequently, they're doing so later in life. These findings mirror those observed in the UK in November, where researchers found that only 48 percent of adults there were married.

But what does this mean for society? And why does it matter at all? HuffPost Weddings spoke to Pew researcher and senior writer D'Vera Cohn to find out.

What are the major findings in this report?

We looked at three aspects of marriage and all of them had pretty notable numbers to them. We looked at how many adults are currently married -- among people over 18, how many of them have a spouse -- and we found that barely half of all adults now are married. That's declined quite a bit from the past. In 2010, again it was barely half -- 51 percent -- in 1960, it was 72 percent. The second thing we looked at was how many marriages are taking place from one year to the next. We have some recent data about that from the last few years from a census survey. So our second finding is that from 2009 to 2010, the number of marriages declined by five percent, which is a pretty notable decline. We don't know why, we can't really say for sure that it's the recession or bad economic times, but it's certainly one more sign that marriage is less important than it used to be in the lives of Americans. The third thing we looked at was how old are Americans when they get married for the first time. Among men who get married for the first time, half are nearly 29 years old or older, and among women who marry for the first time, half are about 27 years old or older. Back in the baby boom days it was early-20's, in the 1990's it was mid-20's, now we're talking late-20's, which means we're seeing a substantial number of people not get married until their 30s for the first time.

Why aren't people getting married?

There are a number of things going on that could play a role. One is that there are other kinds of living arrangements that are socially acceptable now that may not have been in the past, such as living with someone without being married, living on your own, or even living as a single parent. So people may feel they have options that they didn't used to have. Another factor in some cases is that among Americans who complete college, or education beyond that, they may want to get their education done and get launched in a career before they settle down and get married. From some surveys we've taken, we've had people say that it's important, at least for men, to be financially able to provide for a family before they get married. It may [also] be that some couples feel they don't have the financial wherewithal to have a wedding yet.

Why does it matter that people are getting married less or later in life?

Economically speaking, married couples tend to have more income and more wealth. Some of that might have to do with who chooses to get married, that is, people who are educated have less of a decline in their marriage rates than people who are less educated. We also know that the kind of partnership marriage encourages is one in which you plan for the future, share your assets, build wealth together. There isn't that evidence yet for people who live together. So it would be of concern if there's a growing gap between people who are married and people who aren't, in terms of the wealth and income that they have. Another thing to think about is that many of our organizations and institutions are built on the assumption that people are married, that doesn't mean that they can't change or shouldn't change, but it means there would be some adjustment. The third thing to think about is the living conditions and well being of children. There's research indicating that children have a higher likelihood of turning out well if they come from a household where their parents are married. Most children turn out well regardless of whether their parents are married or not, so I'm not at all trying to suggest that children will turn out badly if their parents aren't married. But there's a somewhat higher likelihood that they will face issues, and some of those may include economic hardship.

So that's why this matters. But who does it matter for?

It might matter for their children; it might matter for the institutions that they operate in, such as their employers and the nation's tax base. If, for example, people who aren't married are less able to build wealth, then that will affect the overall wealth of the country.

In your report, you note that about 40 percent of people overall said they believe marriage is obsolete, including 31 percent of married people -- that's surprising. Can you tell me more about that finding?

It kind of makes sense that people who are married would be less inclined to think marriage is obsolete than people who aren't. It also makes sense to me that people who are younger, who are growing up in an era where marriage is les common, would also be more likely to think that marriage is becoming obsolete. I'm also struck by the fact that a large percentage of people who say that marriage is obsolete still want to get married. I think they may be having two ideas in their head at once: one about the institution of marriage and what its status is in society today, which is to say that it's a lot less dominant, central or important in society, [and another about] their own wishes for their future, in which they personally would very much like to be married.

Marriage Rate In America Drops Drastically

Entitlements ( welfare ) are directly responsible for the breakup of the American family.

Ridiculous, how do you explain all of those families not on welfare that disintegrate?

 

[editec]

In hard economic times marriage tends to be delayed.

That because young people are TRYING to do the right thing economically.

 

[High_Gravity]

Marriage Rate In America Drops Drastically

Barely half of Americans over the age 18 are married, according to a new report from the Pew Research Institute. The number of married couples dropped a startling five percent between 2009 and 2010 and has declined by more than 20 percent since 1960.

The report, released Wednesday, showed that Americans are not only getting married less frequently, they're doing so later in life. These findings mirror those observed in the UK in November, where researchers found that only 48 percent of adults there were married.

But what does this mean for society? And why does it matter at all? HuffPost Weddings spoke to Pew researcher and senior writer D'Vera Cohn to find out.

What are the major findings in this report?

We looked at three aspects of marriage and all of them had pretty notable numbers to them. We looked at how many adults are currently married -- among people over 18, how many of them have a spouse -- and we found that barely half of all adults now are married. That's declined quite a bit from the past. In 2010, again it was barely half -- 51 percent -- in 1960, it was 72 percent. The second thing we looked at was how many marriages are taking place from one year to the next. We have some recent data about that from the last few years from a census survey. So our second finding is that from 2009 to 2010, the number of marriages declined by five percent, which is a pretty notable decline. We don't know why, we can't really say for sure that it's the recession or bad economic times, but it's certainly one more sign that marriage is less important than it used to be in the lives of Americans. The third thing we looked at was how old are Americans when they get married for the first time. Among men who get married for the first time, half are nearly 29 years old or older, and among women who marry for the first time, half are about 27 years old or older. Back in the baby boom days it was early-20's, in the 1990's it was mid-20's, now we're talking late-20's, which means we're seeing a substantial number of people not get married until their 30s for the first time.

Why aren't people getting married?

There are a number of things going on that could play a role. One is that there are other kinds of living arrangements that are socially acceptable now that may not have been in the past, such as living with someone without being married, living on your own, or even living as a single parent. So people may feel they have options that they didn't used to have. Another factor in some cases is that among Americans who complete college, or education beyond that, they may want to get their education done and get launched in a career before they settle down and get married. From some surveys we've taken, we've had people say that it's important, at least for men, to be financially able to provide for a family before they get married. It may [also] be that some couples feel they don't have the financial wherewithal to have a wedding yet.

Why does it matter that people are getting married less or later in life?

Economically speaking, married couples tend to have more income and more wealth. Some of that might have to do with who chooses to get married, that is, people who are educated have less of a decline in their marriage rates than people who are less educated. We also know that the kind of partnership marriage encourages is one in which you plan for the future, share your assets, build wealth together. There isn't that evidence yet for people who live together. So it would be of concern if there's a growing gap between people who are married and people who aren't, in terms of the wealth and income that they have. Another thing to think about is that many of our organizations and institutions are built on the assumption that people are married, that doesn't mean that they can't change or shouldn't change, but it means there would be some adjustment. The third thing to think about is the living conditions and well being of children. There's research indicating that children have a higher likelihood of turning out well if they come from a household where their parents are married. Most children turn out well regardless of whether their parents are married or not, so I'm not at all trying to suggest that children will turn out badly if their parents aren't married. But there's a somewhat higher likelihood that they will face issues, and some of those may include economic hardship.

So that's why this matters. But who does it matter for?

It might matter for their children; it might matter for the institutions that they operate in, such as their employers and the nation's tax base. If, for example, people who aren't married are less able to build wealth, then that will affect the overall wealth of the country.

In your report, you note that about 40 percent of people overall said they believe marriage is obsolete, including 31 percent of married people -- that's surprising. Can you tell me more about that finding?

It kind of makes sense that people who are married would be less inclined to think marriage is obsolete than people who aren't. It also makes sense to me that people who are younger, who are growing up in an era where marriage is les common, would also be more likely to think that marriage is becoming obsolete. I'm also struck by the fact that a large percentage of people who say that marriage is obsolete still want to get married. I think they may be having two ideas in their head at once: one about the institution of marriage and what its status is in society today, which is to say that it's a lot less dominant, central or important in society, [and another about] their own wishes for their future, in which they personally would very much like to be married.

Marriage Rate In America Drops Drastically

Entitlements ( welfare ) are directly responsible for the breakup of the American family.

I can understand why you would say that however I don't know if thats the biggest problem with people not wanting to marry, alot of my single friends that are not married have good paying jobs and careers, but are not interested in marriage or the baggage that goes with it. The people you are talking about avoid marriage to keep collecting a welfare check, but how much of a demographic are those folks in the group of people who avoid marriage?

 

[merrill]

I am curious as to why there is so much concern over this matter?

It's better IMO to live with someone for awhile before thinking of marriage. After my first two long term relationships in which one was a marriage I decided no way could I do that again married or not. Mostly I would find myself wanting to be with others after awhile so why go through the pain of splitting up ever again? Seems i was not fit for that situation.... or maybe truly did not want to be?

Then one day after a few years here comes this very sweet lady with whom I worked with at the Tulsa Zoo. Frequently we and others would do the happy hour gig after work. Most often this woman's husband was never around and I would think .... hey someone is going to come along and invite this sweet sweet lady out. We kept hanging out with each other as always and invited the hubby to come along yet he always said go have fun. Never once did he accompany us.

There came a point I felt we probably should not see so much of each other because of my sexual desires but wouldn't mind a happy hour or two from time to time. This lady is a fun person,brainy and beautiful. Before this fun time experience could be scaled back she informed me that she had serious interest in me.

Being such a nice sweet lady I felt obligated to inform her of my past and questionable ways and that I may not be the guy to leave a husband for. Listen this lady is awesome. She had made up her mind and the rest is history 31 years later and 3 beautiful children.

Is marriage necesary? I say no it isn't Yes we are . We married in a farm field with two friends present dressed in coveralls. Been through big weddings that I thought cost wayyyyyy too much money and lots of tension between in laws. No way jose' not for me. Took a 4 month honeymoon doing bicycles,trains and thumbs = a delightful time.

 

[merrill]

If my memory serves well there may be one or two governors pushing marriage as a means to end children living in poverty.....

Hmmmmmmmmmmm