On this Valentine’s Day, how is marriage in America doing these days?
Well it’s nowhere near as popular as it once was. A new Pew Research Center says the share of Americans who are married is at its lowest level since 1920.
The study says half of Americans ages 18 and over were married in 2015, compared to 72 percent who were married in 1960. One factor that is driving the change is that Americans are staying single longer.
Last year, the median age for a first marriage was the oldest on record: 29.5 for men and 27.4 for women.
So among those who do get married, why do they?
Another Pew Research study found that 88% of Americans cited love as a very important reason to get married, ahead of making a lifelong commitment and companionship. Only 28% said financial stability was a very important reason to marry.
But while having enough money 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 with 78% say finding a spouse or partner with a steady job would be very important to them
And what helps people who are married stay married? The study says about two thirds of married couples say having shared interests and a satisfying sexual relationship are very important to a successful marriage. About 55 percent of married people say sharing household chores keeps them married.
Anyone who’s been married for a long time knows the secret of staying married. We all make the promise at our wedding.
But it takes learning that love is about making a commitment. That it’s not as much about feelings that can wear off, but about a decision to show in action what it means to love someone. That’s what marriage is all about and what it’s always been about.
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