The Marriageless ERA

The marriage rate has fallen roughly 5% each of the past several years, down to the lowest American marriage rate on record since 1867 -- 6.5 new marriages per 1,000 people. Covid-19 will most likely accelerate this further to a new record low.

This affects homes, companies, families, churches, human resource departments and benefits, consumer spending, taxes and more. Here is a few quick marriage facts and reasons why this mega trend is taking place:

• More than half of US adults are now living alone. This is much lower then the 70% of the population being married in the 1970s.
• Cohabitating couples has increased from .5 to 7.5% over the past 40 years.
• American unions peaked in the 1980s with 2.5MM being married each year, now down to just 2MM each year.
• Marriage rates plummeted during the Great Depression (1930s), then rebounded sharply during WWII (1941-45), hitting a high of 16.4 marriages per 1,000 people
• Other countries are trending down as well - Australia from 9.3 to 5.6; Egypt from 8.6 to 6.5; Cuba from 13.4 the lowest on record 5 marriages per 1000.
• Why is this trend happening? According to a 2016 Economist Magazine, below are the top reasons experts use to explain this 30-year trend:

-Less focus on religious adherence

-An increase in women's education and income

-Widening of income and wealth inequalities

-Traditional vs. new age companionship values

Given the current economic and Covid-19 situation, the historic decline will most likely continue globally for months and even years to come. This is the new 50/50 single vs. married era we live in. Companies, families, nonprofits and governments will likely need to adjust its programs, human resources benefits, budgets and spending to serve these newly formed demographics.

Sources: WSJ.com and The Economist