Instead of post-college wedding bells, many young Americans are opting to stay single longer before tying the knot.
According to a 2008 study by the National Marriage Project, the average age for marrying has increased by about five years since 1991 in the United States; the average age now 32 for American men and 29 for women.
Marriage rates have decreased by nearly 50 percent since 1970.
Living Together
The steady decline in marriage rates over the last few decades is partly because more young people are choosing to live together before marriage, according to a study by the National Council on Family Relations ["Role of Cohabitation in Declining Rates of Marriage", Bumpass, 1991].
Without a binding commitment, couples give their compatibility a trial run before before a ring is bought or even considered.
In 2000, about 11 million Americans were living with an unmarried partner, a number which has increased tenfold since 1960.
Traveling during Gap Year
Another reason putting young people off from wedding bliss is that more are opting to travel, commonly with large groups of friends and other single travelers during and after college. Taking a “gap year” is not a new phenomenon in other parts of the world, particularly in European countries.
In the United States, this expensive and perhaps downwardly mobile concept is gaining gradual popularity. American “gap year” programs are reporting a 15 to 20 percent growth in enrollment, according to a recent statistic from PlanetGapYear.com.
American employers are looking more favorably upon an applicant’s experience living and working abroad.
Cutting Costs
Either way you look at it, there is not much romance in starting a marriage with thousands of dollars of debt. By the time graduation hits, a goal on 75 percent of graduates' minds is to pay off student loans.
And seeing as the average cost for a wedding in the U.S is roughly $25,000 to $30,000, according to a recent study by the Fairchild Bridal Group, holding off on popping the question for a few years may be the only solution to steering clear of debt.
Decline in Church Attendance
Currently, 15 percent of Americans claim no religion, compared to 8 percent in 1990, according to a new study from the Program on Public Values at Trinity College.
According to a March 13, 2009 Wall Street Journal article, "God Will Provide-Unless the Government Gets There First" by W. Bradford Wilcox, "The secular tide appears to be running strongest among young Americans. Religious attendance among those 21 to 45 years old is at its lowest level in decades, according to Princeton sociologist Robert Wuthnow. Only 25 percent of young adults now attend services regularly, compared with about one-third in the early 1970s".
With fewer churchgoers nationwide, the Christian moral behind marriage is not as prevalent as it once was.
Fear of Divorce
Considering that more than 50 percent of U.S. marriages end in divorce, one can understand a young person’s hesitance to become a bride and groom.
Besides the emotional effects of a marriage ending, divorce as well as out-of-wedlock childbearing cost U.S. taxpayers more than $112 billion a year, according to a new study conducted by the Georgia College & State University economist Ben Scafidi. ["The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing", 2008]
Whatever the motivations – be it money, fear of commitment, or a shift away from religious values – more and more young people are choosing to stay martially unattached. The effects of this growing global trend are yet to be seen.
Amanda Drew - Amanda Drew is a recent college graduate from California State University of Chico with a degree in Journalism and International ...
