Number of Married Adults at All-Time Low

Religion Today | Published: Dec 16, 2011

Number of Married Adults at All-Time Low

December 19, 2011

A new report by the Pew Research Center says only 51 percent of adults in the United States are currently married, LifeSiteNews.com reports. Compared to 1960, when 72 percent of all adults ages 18 and older were married, this represents a new low for the U.S. and is representative of most other "advanced post-industrial societies." If current trends continue, "the share of adults who are currently married will drop to below half within a few years," said D'Vera Cohn, senior writer of the study. "Other adult living arrangements -- including cohabitation, single-person households and single parenthood -- have all grown more prevalent in recent decades." In addition, the report reveals that the number of adults who have never married has almost doubled, from 15 percent in 1960 to 28 percent today. The median age at first marriage has also risen from 20.3 to 26.5 for women and 22.8 to 28.7 for men.

Number of Married Adults at All-Time Low