Americans may not be embracing the institution of marriage as they used to, but that doesn’t mean they are giving up on relationships. From online dating, to remarriage, to cohabitation, here are five facts about the state of love and marriage in the U.S.
1Love remains Americans’ top reason to marry. In a 2013 Pew Research Center survey,
88% of Americans cited love as a very important reason to get married,
ahead of making a lifelong commitment (81%) and companionship (76%).
Fewer (28%) said financial stability was a very important reason to
marry.
But while financial stability may not be an important reason to marry, it is an important factor in what people are looking for
in a spouse – especially women who have never married but say they want
to or are not sure if they want to: 78% say finding a spouse or partner
with a steady job would be very important to them. 
Never-married
men, however, have different priorities. While 46% say finding a spouse
or partner with a steady job is very important, a larger share (62%)
says that finding someone who shares their ideas about raising children
is. (Seven-in-ten of their female counterparts say the same.)
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men, however, have different priorities. While 46% say finding a spouse
or partner with a steady job is very important, a larger share (62%)
says that finding someone who shares their ideas about raising children
is. (Seven-in-ten of their female counterparts say the same.)
And as far as what helps people stay
married, married adults say having shared interests (64%) and a
satisfying sexual relationship (61%) are very important to a successful
marriage. More than half (56%) also name sharing household chores.
2The share of Americans who are married is at its lowest point since at least 1920. Half of Americans ages 18 and over were married in 2015, compared with 72% in 1960.
One factor driving this change is that Americans – particularly men –
are staying single longer. In 2012, 78% of 25-year-old men had never married compared with 67% of their female counterparts, and by 2016, the median age at first marriage had reached its highest point on record: 29.5 years for men and 27.4 years for women.
A number of factors may be driving marriage delays, including increases in the share of young adults going to college and cohabitation.
Another likely factor? Not feeling financially prepared for the
commitment: 34% of never-married people ages 25 to 34 say this is the
primary reason they are not yet married.
3Americans are still embracing relationships.
In addition to the half of U.S. adults who are married, an analysis of
2015 Census Bureau data shows that about 8% of adults are cohabiting
(among those who are householders or partners of householders), and a
2013 Pew Research Center survey
found that 11% of the public described themselves as in a committed
relationship, even though they were not married or living with a
partner.
4Marriage may be on the decline, but remarriage is rising. In 2013, 23% of all married people had been married before,
compared with just 13% in 1960. In that same year, 40% of new marriages
included a spouse who had said “I do” (at least) once before, and in
20% of new marriages both spouses had been married at least once before.
Remarriage is more common among men than
women. Some 64% of previously married men – those who were ever divorced
or widowed – took a second walk down the aisle, compared with 52% of
previously married women, according to our analysis of 2013 Census
Bureau data. One possible reason for this disparity is that women are
less interested than men in remarrying. About half (54%) of previously
married women said in our 2014 survey that they did not want to marry again, compared with 30% of men.
5Americans today are increasingly looking for love online. A total of 15% of American adults have used online dating sites and/or mobile dating apps, according to our 2015 survey, up from 11% who reported doing so
in 2013. Roughly four-in-ten Americans (41%) know someone who uses
online dating, and 29% know someone who has entered a long-term
relationship via online dating.
Growth in online dating has jumped the
most for the youngest Americans. The share of 18- to 24-year-olds who
use online dating has almost tripled in recent years, from 10% in 2013
to 27% in 2015. Mobile dating apps are driving much of this increase:
22% of 18- to 24-year-olds now report using mobile dating apps, up from
just 5% in 2013.
For the most part, people today view
online dating positively. About six-in-ten (59%) say that it is a good
way to meet people, and 47% agree that it is easier and more efficient
than other ways of meeting people. Detractors remain, however – 23% say
that people who use online dating sites are desperate.
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