Why Not Marriage?

      Marriage rates of adults in their mid-to-late twenties have seen a decline most everywhere, though the steepest declines are those found in western Europe. The United States has a decrease of just over 40 per cent, but France and the United Kingdom top the list at a decrease of well over half since the early 1970's. Canada registers at a relatively modest decline in comparison. China boasts the highest marriage rate among those countries in the first chart (Canada, France, the UK, and the US), but it wasn't possible to get data for China prior to the 1980's so the picture is not entirely complete.

      This data paints a stark picture of the decline of marriage all around the world, and leaves us searching for the reasons why. Is marriage less important these days? Or is marriage simply less accessible?

      The rising divorce rate has something to do with the decrease in married women in their mid-to-late twenties. It's become more feasible to live separately, and obtaining a divorce is now a fairly simple procedure (expensive, but simple). Add to that, in some places like Italy, Ireland, and Spain divorce wasn't legal but now is, and it's not difficult to see how rising divorce contributes to the decline in marriage rates.

       Divorce isn't the only factor that contributes to the declining popularity of marriage. Culture plays a large role, and always has, in the acceptance of marriage as a steadfast tradition. Now, especially among the younger  European generation, there has developed an apathy towards the traditional institution of holy matrimony. Young people in many places around the world can now live together, have children together, outside of the bonds of marriage without the censure that once accompanied such an act. Financially and culturally, it's just not a big deal anymore. Living together in a common law partnership is a great way to save money, and in the tough economic circumstances of the United States and much of Europe, cutting out the expense of getting married makes sense. Add to that, many young adults around the world are still living at home with their parents due to rising housing costs, which makes marriage a more difficult prospect.

       The economy may have more to do with declining marriage rates, especially in the US and Canada, than simply diminished cultural significance. One study alleges that because of the growing number of educated women in the Western world, and the decline of the stable, lucrative job among men in the same areas, women are choosing to forego marriage in favour of waiting for a better prospective partner. This sees young women marrying later in life, a fact that is supported by the chart below, which shows less of a decrease in marriage rates in women above 29 years old.



       Though marriage has always been the benchmark of a normal "family formation", it's clear that the norm is being challenged, and eroded. From this data it's possible to see that the future of wedded bliss is very much an uncertain thing.

Then and Now: Matrimonial Decline

This series of charts offers several ways to examine how marriage rates for women have altered over time, age group, and country. In the first chart, it's possible to segregate information by age group, focusing solely on a single age group at one time, whilst comparing that age group between country and time period.


The second and third charts function best when used together, giving the ability to compare all age groups, countries, and time periods at once, however, these two charts can also be used as separate entities if the only desire is to examine a specific time period.



A question which cannot be answered by this series of charts is whether or not there are corresponding levels of divorce rates, which might imply the conclusion that women are still getting married just as much, but are not staying that way, instead of the conclusion that women simply aren't marrying at the rates and ages they used to marry at. To answer this question, it's possible to look to the United Nations vast online vault of data, using the search engine to see if they have a corresponding spreadsheet of divorce rates for these same countries. In fact, a quick search of the UN database shows that this spreadsheet has the exact information needed, and could be used to validate or invalidate the theory of correspondence between marriage rate decline and divorce rate increase.

Where's the love, and are men to blame for its loss?

      Marriage rates of adults in their mid-to-late twenties are on the decline most everywhere, though few are so high as those found in western Europe. The United States boasts a decrease of just over 40 per cent, but France and the United Kingdom top the list at a decrease of well over half since the early 1970's. Canada registers at a relatively modest decline in comparison. Should we be holding men accountable?

      New studies point a finger to the uneven ratio of men to women for skewing the numbers, at least in North America. In Europe, a predominant theory for matrimonial decline among young adults is the renunciation of Old World traditions in favour of a more liberal, individualistic sentiment.

      This spreadsheet is a section of data from the United Nations, and it illustrates the decreasing percentage rates of marriage in Canada, France, the UK, and the U.S.