It does not take a lot of effort to find out about our culture’s current attitude toward marriage. Over the years it has changed as less people are getting married. According to a Pew Research study completed in 2019, marriage rates among women have decreased over the last ten years from 17.6 per 1,000 in 2009 to 16.3 per 1,000 in 2019. In fact, marriage rates have been on a steady decline since the mid-1980s according to the CDC. You can see the chart below for a depiction of marriage rates since 1900:
United States marriage rate, 1900-2018
Rate per 1,000 population
Source: CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System
Additionally, the median age for first marriages has been on the rise. According to the Census Bureau, the median age for men in 2020 was approximately 30 to 31 years old and the median age for women was approximately 28 years old. These statistics are most likely due to our society’s changing attitudes toward marriage. Marriage is no longer viewed as the height of societal achievement as people are more concerned about graduating from college and getting their careers started. Because of this shift, marriage and raising a family are becoming afterthoughts. Perhaps this change explains the rise in the median age for first marriages in both genders and the drop in marriage rates. Here at Groff and Associates we view marriage as a gift worth pursuing and protecting.
