Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 14 Dec 2011 - 7:00 PST
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The proportion of American adults who are married today is the lowest ever, according to a new report published by Pew Research. Not only is marriage becoming progressively avoided, the authors added, but also people are waiting longer to tie the traditional knot. The average age for getting married is now 26.5 for females and 28.7 for males.
The researchers - D'Vera Cohn, Jeffrey Passel and Wendy Wang - who gathered data from the US Census, explained that if trends continue along their recent pattern, it will be very few years before the percentage of married adults is lower than single ones.
The institution of marriage is gradually giving way to: Cohabitation Single-person householdsOne-parent families (single parenthood)Young adults continuing to stay with their parents for longer (partly due to the current economic crisis)
In just one year (2009 to 2010) the total number of weddings in America dropped by 5%. The authors said they did not look into the reasons for this, which may or may not be linked to the current economic climate.
Most other developed nations have also seen marriage declining. The long-term decline does not seem to be associated with any business or economic cycle. The percentage of adults who are married has been falling at about the same rate every year, regardless of whether there were periods of economic boom or bust.In America, the steepest drops in marriage rates have been seen among younger adults - only 20% of Americans aged from 18 to 29 are married today; in 1960 the figure was nearly triple (59%). The average adult who gets married today, does so six years later than his/her counterparts of fifty years ago.
Today, 72% of adults have been married once or more ("ever-married"), compared to 85% fifty years ago.
The decline in marriage has been slower among those with college degrees compared to less educated people. Part of the reason for people getting married at an older age today can be attributed to a much higher percentage of adults now going to college, and subsequently putting off such commitments until they have completed their academic qualifications.
Although divorce has been a contributory factor to the drop in the proportion of married adults today, this was more the case earlier on. Divorce rates have remained pretty stable over the last twenty years, while marriage continued to decline.
Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
D’Vera Cohn, Jeffrey Passel and Wendy Wang
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14 Dec. 2011.
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posted by Soren K on 14 Dec 2011 at 7:34 am
One just has to look the John B. Calhoun's mouse study to see ultimate outcome for humanity. Declining marriage, decreasing progeny, decreasing social interaction, increasing autism, pan-sexuality and hyper-sexuality among behavioral sinks. It is not that hard to see.
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posted by dbeall on 14 Dec 2011 at 7:37 am
America is a "police state" and it's getting worse by the year.
No one should ever get married in a "police state", and you should NOT have children either.
We need to Fix America,, Ron Paul 2012
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posted by pinbalwyz on 14 Dec 2011 at 7:38 am
Government should get out of the marriage bizniz altogether. It doesn't belong in our bedrooms and never did. Marriage should be an institution belonging to the Church, or simply a civil bargain between the individuals without any government 'licensing'.
I'm all in favor of marital relationships--just not in the hands of government
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posted by Tommy Freedom on 14 Dec 2011 at 7:39 am
Its the Progressive's Utopia. Free sex. No over population. No responsibility. Its anti-religion. Its a result of their self-centered, selfish upbringing.
They are awaiting big Government to tell them who to marry, when and where.
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posted by Dee on 14 Dec 2011 at 7:40 am
I agree that not as many people are married today as 50 years ago. However, from my own personal situation my boyfriend and I would love to be married but with the economic crisis we are striving to just make it. We have been together for 10 years, since we were 14 and have our master degrees. Which was also on our to do list, along with securing a FT job before we would get married and have kids. Things don't always go as planned so that is te reason we ar not married yet. Although we would like to be, we do not want to go to the courthouse and get married. Thus, we must hope for the best, do what we can to make it in this economic crisis and hope for the best, so that one day we will be able to have our dream wedding.
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posted by Paul Olivier on 14 Dec 2011 at 7:45 am
God in all his kindness will eventually strike back at all this depravity, indulgence and sin. It is only a question of time!!
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posted by Maria Edmonds on 14 Dec 2011 at 7:59 am
Marriage is an institution invented by men, to control women. As women become more financially independent, it becomes obsolete.
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posted by anonymous on 14 Dec 2011 at 8:04 am
Pestered for a decade on divorce issues this gentleman decided to burn himself on the steps of the court house with gasoline. Here is his last statement. Courts did not apparently help his situation. Only the spouses have the knowledge to fix their problems, wash the divorce courts into the sea because I think they make things worse.
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posted by pinbalwyz on 14 Dec 2011 at 8:08 am
So God will 'strike back' for all the depravity, indulgence, & sin? Does that mean He's a Yankees fan?
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