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As of 2021, one quarter of 40-year-olds in the United States had never married. That’s a record high, according to a Pew reportreleased last week. It’s up from 20% in 2010. In 1980, it was only 6%.
Are folks living together instead of marrying? In some cases, yes. But for the most part, no. As of last year, only 22% of never-married adults ages 40 to 44 were cohabiting.
Will never married 40-year-olds ever tie the knot? Well, predictions are hard. Especially about the future. But only about one-in-four 40-year-olds who had not married in 2001 had done so by age 60. Meaning most had not married.
So, to put it bluntly, if you’re not married by 40, the odds are even that you never will be.
That’s concerning. Marriage goes along with higher levels of happiness, longevity, health, and wealth. Especially for men. Married households also provide the most stable environment for raising kids. Given the steep decline in marriage, it’s not surprising that we’re at just 1.7 births per female. That’s well below the replacement rate of 2.1.
Continued below.
stream.org
Are folks living together instead of marrying? In some cases, yes. But for the most part, no. As of last year, only 22% of never-married adults ages 40 to 44 were cohabiting.
Will never married 40-year-olds ever tie the knot? Well, predictions are hard. Especially about the future. But only about one-in-four 40-year-olds who had not married in 2001 had done so by age 60. Meaning most had not married.
So, to put it bluntly, if you’re not married by 40, the odds are even that you never will be.
That’s concerning. Marriage goes along with higher levels of happiness, longevity, health, and wealth. Especially for men. Married households also provide the most stable environment for raising kids. Given the steep decline in marriage, it’s not surprising that we’re at just 1.7 births per female. That’s well below the replacement rate of 2.1.
Marriage Still a Milestone?
Marriage was once an expected milestone, one of several markers of adulthood. Along with things like getting a job and securing financial independence. Today, everything seems to be taking longer. Sure, more people need training after high school to establish themselves. But that alone can’t explain why the average age of marriage is now 30 for men and 28 for women. Check out these differentials among 25-year-olds, 1980 vs. 2021:Continued below.
One Quarter of 40-Year-Olds Have Never Married - The Stream
As of 2021, one quarter of 40-year-olds in the United States had never married. That’s a record high, according to a report released last week.
stream.org
