Did you know that marriage rates in America hit a 50-year low in 2020? It has continued to drop since then, but why? Why is no one getting married anymore?
Many factors go into marriage. The world has also changed significantly over the past 100 years. This all contributes to people not getting married.
Keep reading and learn more about this trend.
Why Is No One Getting Married Anymore?
Attitudes toward marriage have changed over many decades. Consider people who were born in 1940. Most people from this age group, around 83%, got married before they were 30 years old.
But people born in 1980 have very different statistics. 25% of them got married by the time they were 30. The common trend is that people born many decades ago were more likely to get married younger.
There are a few exceptions
Marriage rates plummeted during the Great Depression for obvious reasons. Rates also declined in the late 1950s but rose again shortly after. Marriage rates are very low today despite our higher quality of living. But why?
With all the resources available to us, it seems that marriage rates should be booming. Instead, the rates are declining rather quickly. This may be because of cultural and religious attitudes, involvement of government incentives, and more.
In the past, getting married was expected of young people. The goal in everyone’s life was to get married and start a family. This was the natural order of things.
Many women also didn’t work outside the home, like men. They may have had jobs before marriage, but once they got married, most women quit their jobs to care for their family.
Religious attitudes also dictated that marriage and families were important. Historically, divorce rates were low because divorce was not religiously acceptable, and many people had strong religious values.
The Details
Industrialization may have also played a role in marriage laws and rates. The changing workforce became more accessible for women in the 1970s. This allowed women to make their own money without relying on a husband.
The change meant that it was not essential for a woman to get married to be financially secure. She could instead take care of herself. More women were also seeking higher education and advanced job positions. Today, we have more educational and job opportunities than ever for women. It is no longer necessary for women to rely on the financial security that men used to provide.
It has also become socially acceptable to cohabitate (a couple living together without being married). Historically, this would have been considered scandalous, and so many people married to avoid the stigma. Today, people frequently cohabitate and enjoy the benefit of a marriage-like living situation, without the legal confines.
Cohabitating couples don’t have to worry about divorce. When a couple breaks up, they don’t have to go through a complicated divorce, they can just move out.
Both men and women face pros and cons when considering marriage. One perceived advantage may be having more freedom. An unmarried person may be able to focus more on their education or career without the responsibilities of a spouse or family. Plus, if you are not married, you do not have to share your financial success with anyone. But there are disadvantages to not getting married. For instance, you may be missing out on tax benefits. But also, if your significant other dies or is injured, it may limit your ability to be involved in decision-making or death benefits (unless you there is other legal documentation).
What You Need to Know
Today, there is about a 50-50 chance that married couples will end up visiting a divorce lawyer like L&J Family Law. The divorce rate is much higher than it was in the past. There are likely many reasons for the increase, including that it is no longer a social norm, or required for financial security.
The Modern Reality of Marriage
Is no one getting married anymore? Marriage rates have dropped in the past few decades. There are many factors for this as we’ve explored in this article.
