Pew: Unmarried couples on rise, but not as happy

Study shows finances are big reason to both cohabit and not marry.

The lingering impacts of the Great Recession have contributed to a boom in the number of unmarried couples who live together, but a new survey from the Pew Research Center has found that those couples tend to be less happy than their married counterparts.

What the survey reveals

The survey results, published online Wednesday, show high public support for unmarried couples who live together, with majorities of every age group saying they find it acceptable to live with an unmarried partner. At the same time, the share of American adults who live with an unmarried partner has more than doubled since 1993, from 3% to 7%. The share of American adults who are married is 53%.

“When we talked to people who lived together, who were not engaged and who said they wanted to be engaged, we asked them why they were not currently married,” Juliana Horowitz, a co-author of the report, said in an interview. “A large share said either themselves not being ready financially or their partner not being ready financially was a major reason they were not married to their partner.”

Horowitz said “love and companionship topped the list” of reasons unmarried couples cited when asked to explain their decision to move in together. But roughly 40% said convenience — making it easier to spend time together — or finances were a major factor. In contrast, just 13% of married couples said financial considerations played a part in their decision to wed.

“We know from studies we have done and that others have done that many people are forgoing marriage for economic reasons, and we do see that here, with many cohabitants saying they are not far enough along in their career to get married yet,” she said.

How attitudes have changed

It used to be considered somewhat taboo for a couple to live together if they were not married — hence the term “living in sin” — but those attitudes have changed, researchers said.

A slim majority of Americans, 53%, said society would be better off if long-term couples got married. But 69% of Americans said it was OK to live with a romantic partner even with no plans to marry.

According to the survey, unmarried couples report significantly less satisfaction in their relationships than do married couples, who report higher levels of trust in their partners’ honesty, fidelity and spending habits.

That pattern is true when it comes to couples with children: Married people are more likely than unwed partners to say they are “very satisfied” with their partner’s parenting skills (48% to 39%).

What the study doesn’t answer

The pattern does not hold when it comes to sex: Similar shares of married and unmarried cohabitants say they are “very satisfied” with their sex lives, 36% to 34%.

Horowitz said it was not clear why married people said they were so much happier than unmarried couples.

NEW YORK TIMES The study controlled for age, race, education levels, religious affiliation and duration of relationship, and even with such a range of control, married couples proved to be happier.