ArcaMax

More Americans are getting married later in life—if at all.

That's according to a 2023 report by the Pew Research Center, which analyzed Census Bureau data to reveal that a record-high share of Americans over 40 have never been married. One in 4 40-year-olds had never tied the knot as of 2021, up from 1 in 5 in 2010.

Forty-year-olds holding a bachelor's degree or higher were more likely to be married than those without a four-year college degree, the report found, and men were more likely to have never said "I do" than women.

This high marks a decades-long slide in marriage rates, coinciding with evolving social norms and drastic economic shifts. Since the early 1990s, as cohabitation started to become more socially acceptable, ideas about the necessity, importance, and timing of marriage—at least among some segments of the population—have dramatically changed.

In part, experts point to economic factors for the delay and decline in marriage rates. Women's economic gains in the workforce have made them less financially reliant on a wage-earning spouse. The rising costs of raising a child, coupled with declining birth rates, have also driven down marriage rates.

Harder to measure, however, is the impact of shifting attitudes on purpose and fulfillment on marriage. While 7 in 10 Americans say marriage is important for a fulfilling life, just over half say that while it's important, it's not essential for both men and women, according to Pew Research. Broader recognition that marriage does not "complete" a person has made it a "nice to have"—for some—rather than the ultimate goal.

Bella DePaulo, a social scientist and "leading researcher of singlehood" told The Atlantic in 2022 that her "most authentic life" is while being single: "And single for me in the most single sense possible—I live alone, I don't date, I happily don't date, and that's the life that works best for me," she added.

While some Americans say that society is better off if more people are married, and about 4 in 10 believe marriage brings greater financial security, that's not enough to convince some people to walk down the aisle. Salvador Espinoza, a 44-year-old from New York City, told Stacker that despite the fact he thinks marriage might "make sense legally" for insurance and taxes purposes, a relationship doesn't need to have a "seal of approval by some other authority."

Texas Marriage and Divorce Records looked atCensus data andPew Research to assess how single Americans have reexamined their relationship with marriage.

Visit thestacker.com for similar lists and stories.