The story of a marriage isn’t always as captivating as the story of a blooming romance. Marriage is constant compromise, frequent miscommunication, pet peeves that turn into genuine grievances. It’s a wet towel on the bathroom floor turning into an explosive argument and three days of silence.
And marriage is, ultimately, the decision to continue to love and show up for each other, despite the challenges. Of course, marriage — namely, a successful marriage — looks different to everyone.
These statistics reveal just how much the institution of marriage has changed over the decades, and even shed light on what most of us are looking for from a lifetime commitment. Yes, marriage is hard. But if these statistics prove anything, it’s that marriage is still considered to be an important, and even aspirational, part of adulthood.
1. U.S. Marriage Rates Are At The Lowest Point in Recorded History
Boomers love to lament the “death of marriage.” As a Zillennial, I hate to admit it, but there’s a kernel of truth to this statement: marriage rates are currently at their lowest point in recorded history1. Plenty of outside factors help to explain this descent — *gestures wildly at the state of the world* — but what about the last 50 years in general?
Marriage rates soared after WWII, but they began their slow decline in 1972 and haven’t stopped since. After a period of relative stability in the 2010s, marriage rates plummeted again during COVID.
Yes, there was a burst of marriages in the 2020s, but this is a reflection of post-COVID optimism, not a long-term attitude shift about marriage.
2. High Schoolers’ Marriage Aspirations Have Dropped 17 Points
Marriage isn’t only an expectation, but an aspiration for a majority of young adults. But the number of High School Seniors who aspire to marry has actually dropped a whopping 17 points since the ‘90s, from 80% in 1993 to 67% in 20232.
Have young people lost their faith in love? The reason for falling marriage aspirations probably has less to do with cynicism and more with shifting priorities. Today’s young people are focused more on their futures — their finances, education, and careers — than on their love lives. In fact, 24% of respondents said they simply don’t know if they’ll ever get married.
Over 20% of respondents don’t know if they’ll ever get married.
3. Boys Are More Likely Than Girls to Want Marriage
Young people may have a renewed focus on their finances, education, and careers, but women are generally more focused on these things than men.
The number of 12th grade boys who want to get married someday hasn’t changed much since 1993 (76% of boys had marriage aspirations back then), but the number of girls with marriage aspirations has dropped by 22 percentage points (from 83% to 61%)2.
Nowadays, 74% of 12th grade boys say they want to get married someday, compared with 61% of girls. It’s striking: We assume young women have been planning their dream weddings since childhood, but this may be an antiquated assumption.
4. Nearly 60% of LGBTQ+ Adults Under 50 Want to Get Married Someday
This survey, which was conducted 10 years after same-sex marriage was legalized in the U.S., shows how LGBTQ+ adults and non-LGBTQ+ adults now have virtually identical marriage aspirations3.
More than half (59%) of LGBTQ+ people under 50 want to get married someday, compared with 63% of non-LGBTQ+ adults. LGBTQ+ respondents are slightly more unsure about marriage (28%) than non-LGBTQ+ respondents (25%), but it’s clear that both demographics view marriage as a reasonable expectation.
Do LGBTQ+ Adults Want to Get Married?
Source: Pew Research
5. Some Americans Say the Best Age to Get Married is 26.5
Brides and grooms come in all different shapes, sizes, and ages, and none is “better” than the other. That doesn’t mean people don’t have preconceived notions of what the ideal bride or groom looks like. Generally speaking, Americans believe that the best age to tie the knot is 26.54.
On the surface, 26-27 years old is ideal for big life changes like marriage because it’s an age we associate with newfound maturity. Surely, we’ll all be financially and emotionally stable enough by 26 years old to have a wedding, get married, and buy a house, right? Right?
6. Most Americans Don’t Think There’s a “Best Age” to Get Married At All
Although many adults (23%) say the ideal age range to get married is between 23 and 29 (with 26.5 considered to be the “ideal”), about half believe that there is no such thing as an “ideal” age range for marriage4. The old-fashioned “ideal” may be a thing of the past.
Sure, it’s easy to imagine a 26-year-old walking down the aisle, ready and willing to start a new chapter in their life. But as we’ve established, economic and social uncertainty don’t exactly lead young people to the altar.
This doesn’t mean that people aged 23-29 don’t want to get married, but that a majority of respondents to this survey believe that getting married at 36 or 56 is just as good as getting married at 26.
Respondents say that 27 is generally the ideal age to get married.
7. People Are More Likely to Cohabitate Than Get Married
Shacking up no longer gets a bad rap. In 2018, 9% of survey respondents aged 18-24 lived with an unmarried partner compared with 7% who lived with a spouse5. And this was before the pandemic pushed young couples into enforced cohabitation!
The average number of cohabiting couples only increases with age. As of 2018, 15% of young adults aged 25-34 lived with an unmarried partner, a 12% increase from 2008. It seems more people are willing to exchange house keys than wedding rings these days.
8. Fewer Than Half of U.S. Households in 2025 Were Married Couples
Once upon a time, nearly every cookie-cutter house on the block contained a husband, a wife, and 2 ½ children. This was something the Census Bureau could depend on. But now, less than half (47%) of every U.S. household contains a married couple6. 50 years ago, this share was 19 percentage points higher at 66%.
With people generally delaying marriage and childbirth, it’s no wonder this number has plummeted. It’s not that more couples are living separately, but that fewer people need a ring to consider themselves committed.
9. On Average, Women Get Married at a Younger Age Than Men
People may think that 26.5 is the ideal age to get married, but in reality, we’re generally a little older6. Of course we are; it takes more money, and therefore more time, to plan a life together than it used to.
Despite all of the changes in the world of marriage, one thing remains the same: from 1975 to today, women are generally two years younger than the men they marry. The estimated median age for first marriage is 30.8 for men and 28.4 for women. Women are still expected to get married when they’re in their 20s, but men have the luxury of being at least 30.
10. More Than Half of Single Women Believe They’re Happier Than Married Women
It’s an eternal question: Are single women happier than married women, or vice versa? The answer is complicated, considering how personal experience and background shape one’s perception of happiness. But generally speaking, more than half (55%) of surveyed single women believe they’re happier than married women7.
It stands to reason that one is more likely to defend one’s current relationship status than to admit unhappiness. And yet, a not-insignificant 22% of married women agree that single women are happier than married women.
22% of married women agree that single women are happier than married women.
11. However, Single Men Don’t Think They’re Happier Than Married Men
Some single women feel empowered by their independence, but single men don’t always feel the same way. Fewer than 4 in 10 single men (40%) say that single men are happier than married men7.
Again, only 22% of married men believe single men are happier than they are. You can’t deny the gender roles at play. Single women seem to draw strength from singlehood, but single men seem to feel lonely, perhaps even incomplete.
12. Marriage is an Outdated Institution to 18% of Surveyed Adults
Some of us dream of walking down the aisle, but others aren’t so quick to make a lifelong commitment. Nearly 20% of surveyed adults said that marriage is an outdated institution, and perhaps unsurprisingly, younger people are more likely to say marriage is antiquated8. But which young people believe it’s outdated is more surprising.
Interestingly, adults aged 30-44 (millennials) are most likely to say that marriage is outdated (21.2%). The same share of Gen Z voters agree (21.2%), but more Gen Z voters disagree that marriage is outdated (65.6%) than millennial voters (60.1%).
In all, 66.7% of surveyed adults say marriage is not an outdated institution.
Marriage is Not an Outdated Institution (%)
Source: YouGov
13. 27% of U.K. Respondents View Men Taking Their Partner’s Last Name Positively
It’s still relatively rare for a man to take his female partner’s last name when they get married, but that doesn’t mean people always look down on the decision. Almost 30% of survey respondents have a positive view of men taking their partner’s last name, while 25% have a negative view9.
Less surprising is that more than half of respondents (53%) have a positive view of women taking their spouse’s last name (only 5% have a negative view). Simply keeping one’s last name could be a good compromise, according to the 36% of respondents who had a positive view of this idea. Only 16% have a negative view of this option.
14. 67% of U.K. Adults Would Prefer a Private Marriage Proposal
Hollywood would have you believe that we all dream of big, elaborate proposals with fireworks and cheering crowds, but this is far from the truth. Nearly 70% of respondents would prefer a private, intimate proposal, and only 5% of respondents would prefer a public proposal10.
Overall, 18% wouldn’t want any kind of marriage proposal. In fact, the older the respondent, the more likely they were to say they wouldn’t want a marriage proposal at all.
Only 5% of respondents would prefer a public proposal to a private proposal.
15. 93% of Married Adults Say Love is the Top Reason to Marry
There are plenty of unromantic reasons to get married — the allure of a dual income or health insurance comes to mind — but a majority of married adults (93%) generally agree that love is still the most important reason to tie the knot11. Unmarried adults may not have taken this step yet, but 84% still agree that love is the best reason to take the plunge.
Married adults are even more likely to say (87%) that making a lifelong commitment to someone is a foundational part of life, and therefore the most important reason to get married. Fewer, but still many, unmarried adults agree (74%).
16. Financial Stability is the Least Important Reason to Get Married
Some people are willing to toss romance out the window in favor of financial stability. In fact, 31% of married adults and 30% of unmarried adults — both small, but not insignificant shares — believe that financial security is the most important reason to get married11.
But in the grand scheme of things (AKA the scope of the survey), these findings represent the smallest number of people. Financial security may be a nice byproduct of marriage, but most people still say “I do” because they love each other.
31% of married adults and 30% of unmarried adults believe that financial security is the most important reason to get married.
17. Only 29% of Divorced Adults Would Get Married Again
Marriage is a popular life goal for most people, but not necessarily for people who have been there, done that. Less than 30% of divorced adults are interested in getting married again11. Interestingly, divorced women are more likely to turn down a marriage proposal than divorced men.
How to explain their reluctance to give marriage another try? Although it’s ultimately a highly personal decision, it’s possible that divorced women are a bit like the single women we mentioned earlier. They value their independence and are in no hurry to give it up.
18. 77% of Respondents Say Marriage Makes Raising a Family Easier.
When it comes to raising a child, we need all the help we can get. This explains why 77% of respondents believe it’s easier for a married person to raise a family than a single person11. But this is one of the only glaring benefits of marriage, according to the respondents.
About half of the survey’s respondents said that neither marriage nor singlehood has any bearing on one’s sex life, financial security, overall happiness, and social status. There’s no denying that some of us do see the benefits of marriage in these areas, but the fact that respondents are evenly split on this point is striking.
19. 73% of Married People Consider Themselves To Be “Very Happy”
There’s lots of talk these days about climbing divorce rates and the death of monogamy, and there may be some truth to these discussions. But overall, married couples actually report being generally happy in their relationships12.
Of 2,000 surveyed married adults, over 70% considered themselves to be either “very” happy, “extremely” happy, or “perfectly” happy. Happily-ever-afters really can exist after all.
20. Wives With Protective Husbands Are 134% More Likely to Report Stable Marriages
Yes, you read that correctly. Wives who said their husbands were “definitely” protective were not only considerably happier, but 134% more likely to describe their marriages as stable12. But don’t get it twisted: This is not just a “damsel in distress” thing.
Men with “highly protective” wives are 61% more likely to be happily married, and 98% more likely to describe their marriage as highly stable. The study emphasizes that “protectiveness” has less to do with being physically protective, and more to do with making a spouse feel safe and secure on an emotional level.
Men with “highly protective” wives are 98% more likely to describe their marriage as highly stable.
21. Regular Date Nights Boost Husbands’ Odds of Marital Happiness by 114%
If you need a good excuse to go out on a Friday night, here it is: Wives who have regular date nights have 56% higher odds of being very happily married12. The odds of being very happily married increase to 114% for husbands who enjoy regular date nights with their spouses.
It’s clear that when couples deliberately take time to be alone together – to talk, to listen, and to bond – it generates intimacy, which goes a long way to sustaining happiness.
Marriage is Declining, But We Still Value Partnerships
When you track the continued decline of marriage in the U.S., it’s natural to wonder why this is happening. Are we getting too jaded, too cynical, to hitch our wagons to one person for the rest of our lives? Did our parents’ divorce simply leave us disillusioned with marriage?
These are all understandable possibilities. But as I wrote this article, I was struck by one thing: Our unshakable human need for companionship.
Even as marriage rates fall, it’s clear that our desire to love and be loved has not changed.
The statistics in these surveys show that we all crave what we’ve always craved, and that these cravings are often in opposition to each other: We want independence, but we also want consistent support. We want someone to commit to us, but we’re not always willing to commit to someone ourselves.
Even as marriage rates fall, it’s clear that our desire to love and be loved has not changed. Only the way we express this love has changed, and will likely continue to change as society evolves. It will be interesting to see what the average marriage looks like in another fifty years.
Data Sources:
- https://ourworldindata.org/marriages-and-divorces
- https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/11/14/12th-grade-girls-are-less-likely-than-boys-to-say-they-want-to-get-married-someday/
- https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/08/11/majorities-of-lgbtq-and-non-lgbtq-us-adults-under-50-want-to-get-married-someday/
- https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/03/19/best-age-to-get-married-have-a-child-buy-a-home-and-retire-heres-what-americans-say/
- https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/11/cohabitation-is-up-marriage-is-down-for-young-adults.html
- https://www.census.gov/topics/families/marriage-and-divorce.html
- https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/the-state-of-american-romance-how-politics-and-pessimism-influence-dating-experiences/
- https://yougov.com/en-us/trackers/is-marriage-outdated
- https://d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/Internal_MarriedNames_250326_w.pdf
- https://yougov.com/en-gb/daily-results/20241122-a293d-1
- https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2013/02/13/love-and-marriage/
- https://ifstudies.org/report-brief/for-better-four-proven-ways-to-a-strong-and-stable-marriage
