Marriage Rate Numbers over the Years

Recently, we learned that the marriage rate in the US has reached its lowest level ever. In 2013, the share of Americans age 18 and older who are married dropped to a record low of 50.3%. That’s the lowest number recorded since tracking began in 1920, and a drop of nearly a third from the high in 1960. That’s even with the figures including same-sex couples for the first time.

So why are marriage rates declining?

Why Marriage Rates Were High—and Grew Even Higher

First, it’s important to understand why marriage rates were so high in the first place. In the past, marriages were used for many reasons. First, it was considered an economic arrangement. A woman needed a man to support her. Though many women worked, their ability to maintain a solo household was limited.

Next, marriage was considered the only appropriate context for sex. In order to have sex, most people thought they had to be married (or hire prostitutes). This made getting married an important goal for many people.

Marriage was also considered necessary for raising children. If you wanted children, you had to get married.

Marriage rates further increased through the 40s and 50s as the automobile culture encouraged more mixing of teens outside the supervision of parents. This led to more surprise births because birth control was harder to get and methods were unreliable. With no choice but to “do the right thing” when a baby was on the way, many people got married.

And, of course, marriage was considered an important aspect of love. If you loved someone, you naturally wanted to marry them to promise your love forever.

Why Marriage Rates Have Fallen

We have seen an undoing of almost all the forces that drove people to get married in the past, causing an unraveling of the tendency to get married. Women now make up almost half the workforce, which means they don’t need a husband to support them anymore.

Sex out of wedlock is now a normal pattern for adults. The two are less tied together than they have ever been.

Although it helps, most people no longer consider marriage necessary for raising children. A generation of divorced parents led to children getting by without both parents around, who now feel that they can raise their children on their own.

With the spread of birth control, the number of surprise pregnancies has decreased (among populations where sex education includes contraception). And, as we noted above, even when they do happen, parents don’t feel the need to be married.

Perhaps most importantly, people who are in love no longer feel that they absolutely have to be married to express that love. They increasingly look at their feelings as the necessary bond, not the paper saying they are married.

It seems that the decline in marriage rates, although continuing, is slowing. We may see a bottoming out of this curve soon, with future marriage rates similar to what we see today.

If you are among the people who still look forward to a traditional wedding and pledging of undying love in front of your close friends and family, we can help. Please contact Stonebrook Manor in north Denver for a free tour.