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.