Why are marriage rates so low?

Marriage rates in America are at a historic low, but they’ve been declining for decades. A combination of factors influences the country’s marriage rate, including gender equality, economic issues and the value of picking the right partner.

According to federal data spanning more than a century, the marriage rate for 2018 — the most recent data recorded — fell to 6.5 per 1,000, the lowest level to date. Marriage rates fell steadily from 1982 through 2009, then stayed around 6.7 to 7 per 1,000 through 2017.

This new drop to 6.5 isn’t that much of a difference.

“It’s been a steady low. It’s been bouncing around this level for a while. It’s not surprising if it continues on this trend,” said Wendy D. Manning, co-director of the National Center for Family and Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University. “It would be a concern if it was a huge drop.”

Reasons to wait

Gender equality is a main factor in the rate of marriage, Manning said. Women have more opportunity to work outside the home and they’re earning higher incomes. “Women are valued as economic providers,” she said.

There’s also the financial equation.

“People don’t want to get married until they’re financially set. Especially those with college degrees,” Manning said.

“A main reason that rates of marriage have decreased is the increased societal tolerance towards alternatives to marriage,” said Andrea Wittenborn, professor of human development and family studies at Michigan State University. “As marriage rates have declined, rates of cohabitation have increased.”

It’s more common now to live together before marriage, Manning said. Just under 70% of married people cohabitate before marriage with one or more partners, according to the Institute for Family Studies.

“Cohabitation is not replacing marriage,” Manning said. People are cohabitating in their 20s rather than jumping into marriage.

Financial uncertainty is a major reason for putting marriage off, especially for those who experienced the last economic recession, Manning said.

“I think there are two main reasons why young adults are not getting married,” said W. Bradford Wilcox, University of Virginia sociology professor and director of the National Marriage Project. “First, young men and women tend to think that money and work are more important sources of fulfillment than marriage, based on Pew data and other surveys. ... Secondly, young men without college degrees are having more difficulty finding and keeping decent-paying jobs. This makes them less attractive as potential husbands.”

Health pros and cons

Marriage can be positive for people’s health and well-being.

“Thriving social relationships are essential and help us live longer and healthier lives,” Wittenborn said. “Research on intimate relationships reveals that a deep connection with a romantic partner promotes physical and mental health among spouses and offers economic benefits. Marriage has direct effects on things like cardiovascular health, the immune system and so on.”

Data have also shown the detrimental effects of loneliness.

“Loneliness has devastating effects on people’s health and well-being,” Wittenborn said. “Deep connections with a romantic partner are one way to combat loneliness, though whether or not the romantic partnership represents a legal marriage may not make a significant difference in the end.”

Marriage can also affect health negatively.

“However, one-third of couple relationships in the U.S. are strained; when couples are in conflict, it can have negative consequences in their lives and on those around them, including adverse effects on their children,” Wittenborn said. “Unhappy marriages are associated with lower levels of life satisfaction, well-being and health. Staying unhappily married is generally worse for people’s health and well-being than divorcing.”

Young people are savvy and don’t want to make a mistake choosing their life partner.

“Divorce looms large in people’s minds,” Manning said.

However, marriage is aspirational for most people, according to studies, including high school seniors, single moms and those who’ve never married, Manning said.

“Marriage is valued as an institution,” she said.