Marriage Statistics in 2026: Trends, Rates, and What's Changing

Marriage in America is changing. People are marrying later, marrying less frequently, and marrying across racial and cultural lines more than ever before. At the same time, those who do marry are divorcing at lower rates than previous generations.

This guide compiles the most current marriage statistics available from the CDC National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, Pew Research Center, Gallup, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and leading academic institutions. Every statistic is linked to its original source so you can verify the data yourself.

Whether you are preparing for marriage, studying relationship trends, or simply curious about where the institution stands today, this is a comprehensive look at the numbers.

Quick Reference Summary

Before diving into the details, here is a snapshot of the most important marriage statistics in the United States.

Current Marriage Rate in the U.S.

The marriage rate in the United States has been declining for decades, though it remains one of the highest among developed nations.

In 2022, the U.S. saw 2,065,905 marriages -- the first time the figure surpassed 2 million since 2019, before the pandemic disrupted wedding plans nationwide. The 2022 marriage rate of 6.2 per 1,000 population was the highest observed since 2018, when the rate was 6.5.

To put the long-term decline in perspective:

• 2000: 8.2 marriages per 1,000 population
• 2010: 6.8 marriages per 1,000 population
• 2020: 5.1 marriages per 1,000 population (pandemic low)
• 2022: 6.2 marriages per 1,000 population (post-pandemic rebound)
• 2023: 6.1 marriages per 1,000 population (provisional)

The pandemic dip in 2020 was notable -- many couples postponed ceremonies, contributing to the rebound in 2021 and 2022. By 2022, 36 states and the District of Columbia reported marriage rates that matched or exceeded their 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

The divorce rate has also been declining steadily. The current rate of 2.4 per 1,000 population is roughly half of what it was in the early 1990s. This decline is partly explained by the fact that fewer people are marrying in the first place, and those who do marry tend to be older, more educated, and more financially stable -- all factors associated with lower divorce risk.

Average Age at First Marriage

Americans are marrying later than at any point in recorded history. The median age at first marriage has risen steadily for over five decades.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's Historical Marital Status Tables, the median age at first marriage in 2025 is 30.8 for men and 28.4 for women. This represents a dramatic shift from 1975, when the median ages were 23.5 and 21.1 respectively.

Historical Median Age at First Marriage

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey

Several factors drive this trend. More Americans are pursuing higher education, which delays marriage. The rising cost of living -- particularly housing -- means many young adults feel they need to achieve greater financial stability before committing to marriage. Cultural norms have also shifted, with cohabitation before marriage becoming widely accepted.

The gender gap in age at first marriage has also narrowed. In 1950, men married an average of 2.5 years older than women. By 2025, that gap has shrunk to 2.4 years, reflecting women's increased participation in higher education and careers.

Marriage by Race and Ethnicity

Marriage rates vary significantly across racial and ethnic groups in the United States. These differences reflect a complex interplay of economic, cultural, and historical factors.

Current Marriage Rates by Race and Ethnicity (2024)

Data from the National Center for Family & Marriage Research using American Community Survey data shows the following percentages of adults who are currently married:

All groups have seen declines since 1990. White men saw their marriage rate drop from 62.8% to 54.0%. Hispanic Americans experienced the steepest declines -- about 10 percentage points for men and 11 points for women. The gap between Asian American women (62.2%) and Black women (33.3%) is the largest disparity across all groups.

These disparities are closely connected to economic factors. Research consistently shows that marriage rates correlate with economic stability, and the racial wealth gap in the United States plays a significant role in these differences.

Interracial and Interethnic Marriage

One of the most striking trends in American marriage over the past half-century is the dramatic rise in marriages across racial and ethnic lines.

In 1967, when the Supreme Court struck down bans on interracial marriage in Loving v. Virginia, only 3% of newlyweds were intermarried. By 2015, that figure had risen to 17%, and by 2019 it reached 19%.

Intermarriage Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Intermarriage rates vary significantly by group, according to Pew Research:

• Asian American newlyweds: 29% married someone of a different race or ethnicity
• Hispanic newlyweds: 27% married outside their ethnic group
• Black newlyweds: 18% married someone of a different race (up from 5% in 1980)
• White newlyweds: 11% married someone of a different race or ethnicity

Among all intermarried newlyweds, the most common pairings are White-Hispanic (43.3%), followed by other combinations (30.4%), White-Asian (14.4%), and White-Black (11.9%).

Regional variation is also significant. In Western states like Hawaii and Nevada, roughly one in three married couples are interracial. In many Southern states, the rate is closer to one in ten.

Same-Sex Marriage Statistics

A decade after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), the data shows a substantial and growing population of married same-sex couples.

According to the Williams Institute at UCLA, married couples now account for the majority (59%) of cohabiting same-sex couples in the U.S. -- an inflection point that occurred in 2016, the first full year of nationwide marriage equality. An estimated 299,000 children under 18 live in households headed by married same-sex couples.

Public Support for Same-Sex Marriage

Public opinion has shifted dramatically. According to Gallup polling from 2024, 69% of Americans support same-sex marriage, compared to just 27% in 1996 when Gallup first asked the question.

Support varies by political affiliation: 83% of Democrats, 74% of Independents, and 46% of Republicans support the right of same-sex couples to marry.

Across OECD countries with available data, same-sex marriages represented 2.2% of all marriages on average in 2021-2022.

Cohabitation vs. Marriage Trends

Cohabitation -- living with a romantic partner without being married -- has become an increasingly common arrangement and, for many Americans, a precursor to marriage.

According to Pew Research, among adults ages 18 to 44, 59% have lived with an unmarried partner at some point, while 50% have ever been married. This represents a significant generational shift -- cohabitation prior to marriage increased from about 11% among women who married between 1965 and 1974 to 76% among women who married between 2015 and 2019.

The overall share of U.S. adults who are married has declined from 58% in 1995 to about 51% in 2023, while the share who are cohabiting has risen from 3% to 7% over the same period.

Attitudes Toward Cohabitation

Most Americans find cohabitation acceptable. According to Pew Research, about 78% of adults under 30 say it is acceptable for an unmarried couple to live together even if they do not plan to marry. However, research from the Institute for Family Studies suggests that married couples still report higher relationship quality on average compared to cohabiting couples, even after controlling for selection effects.

A 2025 analysis from the Penn Wharton Budget Model examined the economic implications of the shift from marriage to cohabitation, finding that it has significant effects on household wealth accumulation and economic stability.

Marriage and Education/Income

One of the most consequential divides in American marriage is the education gap. A college degree is now one of the strongest predictors of whether someone will marry and whether that marriage will last.

Education and Divorce Risk

Education has an even more dramatic effect on whether marriages survive. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data from their National Longitudinal Survey:

• College graduates: approximately 30% of marriages end in divorce
• Some college: approximately 40% of marriages end in divorce
• High school diploma: approximately 45% of marriages end in divorce
• Less than high school: more than 50% of marriages end in divorce

A 2024 BLS Monthly Labor Review study tracking the NLSY79 cohort from ages 15 to 55 confirmed these patterns, finding that education level was consistently one of the strongest predictors of marital stability across the entire adult lifespan.

Marriage and Earnings

Marriage and income appear to reinforce each other. According to BLS data from 2024, at least one family member was employed in 79.6% of married-couple families, with about half (49.6%) having both spouses employed.

The earnings dynamic within marriages has also shifted. A 2023 Pew Research analysis found that in a growing share of marriages, husbands and wives earn roughly the same amount. College-educated adults also tend to marry later (average age 26.5 vs. 22.7 for those without a high school diploma), giving them more time to establish financial stability before marriage.

Marriage Satisfaction Statistics

Understanding what keeps married couples happy has been the focus of decades of research, most notably from the Gottman Institute, which has studied thousands of couples over more than 40 years.

Key Findings from Gottman Research

Dr. John Gottman's research, conducted at the University of Washington "Love Lab," has produced some of the most cited findings in relationship science:

• The 5:1 ratio: Stable, happy marriages maintain a ratio of at least five positive interactions for every one negative interaction. Couples who drop below this ratio are significantly more likely to divorce.
• The "Four Horsemen": Criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling predict early divorce with over 90% accuracy. Couples exhibiting these patterns without effective repair attempts divorce an average of 5.6 years after the wedding.
• 69% perpetual problems: Nearly seven in ten marital conflicts are about fundamental differences that never fully resolve. Happy couples learn to dialogue about perpetual problems with humor and acceptance rather than trying to "solve" them.
• Positive affect matters most: Gottman et al. (1998) found that positive affection during conflict was the single best predictor of both communication satisfaction and marital stability in newly married couples.

Couples Therapy Effectiveness

For couples experiencing distress, research supports the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions. A study published in the Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences found that Gottman Method Couples Therapy significantly improved both marital adjustment and intimacy. The Gottman Seven Principles course has been shown to improve couple relationships and is equally effective whether delivered in person or online.

If you are interested in understanding the Gottman approach in more depth, our guide on the Gottman Method explained covers the core principles and how they apply to everyday relationships.

What Makes Marriages Last

Beyond satisfaction statistics, researchers have identified specific protective factors that distinguish marriages that endure from those that end.

Research-Backed Protective Factors

A 2019 systematic review published in the Journal of Family Issues examined protective factors of marital stability across studies from multiple countries. The key factors identified include:

• Commitment: According to the Institute for Family Studies, husbands and wives with the highest levels of commitment had odds of reporting divorce as "not at all likely" that were 306% and 236% higher, respectively, than their less committed counterparts.
• Communication and conflict resolution: Couples who develop healthy conflict resolution skills early in their relationship have significantly lower divorce rates. The Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) research demonstrates that teaching communication skills before conflict becomes entrenched is far more effective than intervening after distress sets in.
• Regular date nights: Wives with regular date nights had odds of perceived marital stability that were 84% higher than wives who reported less frequent date nights.
• Shared religious practice: Wives who attended religious services regularly with their husbands had odds of being very happy in their marriage that were 112% higher than women who attended less often or not at all.
• Feeling protected: The spousal trait of being "protective" is a standout factor -- wives who felt their husbands made them feel physically and emotionally safe were 137% more likely to report being very happy in their marriage.

Premarital Preparation

One of the most actionable findings from the research is the value of premarital preparation. Couples who go through structured premarital counseling or education programs are approximately 30% less likely to divorce than those who skip it. If you are engaged or seriously considering marriage, our guide to 125 premarital questions to ask before marriage is a practical starting point.

For couples looking to strengthen their relationship through daily connection, even small habits -- like asking each other a meaningful question each day -- can build the communication patterns that research associates with lasting marriages. Our guide on relationship check-in questions provides a structured framework.

International Marriage Comparisons

The trends seen in the United States -- declining marriage rates, later marriages, rising cohabitation -- are part of a broader pattern across developed nations, though the U.S. remains on the higher end of marriage rates among OECD countries.

Marriage Rates Across Developed Nations (2022)

Source: OECD, Society at a Glance 2024

In 1990, most OECD countries had marriage rates between 5 and 7 per 1,000. By 2022, most had fallen to between 3 and 5 per 1,000. Only Hungary and Iceland have seen their marriage rates increase during this period, with Hungary's increase attributed in part to government policies that provide financial incentives for marriage.

For a broader view of global marriage and divorce data over time, Our World in Data maintains an excellent interactive dataset covering dozens of countries.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Big Picture

Marriage in the United States is not disappearing -- it is transforming. Americans are marrying later, with more education, across more racial and cultural lines, and with greater intentionality than previous generations. The couples who do marry are divorcing less. Same-sex couples have gained the right to marry and are exercising it at growing rates. Cohabitation has become a normative step in the relationship trajectory for most young adults.

What the data consistently shows is that the quality of a relationship matters far more than its legal form. The same factors that predict lasting marriages -- commitment, communication, conflict resolution, shared values, and regular investment in the relationship -- are the factors that predict healthy partnerships of all kinds.

Whether you are considering marriage, already married, or navigating a partnership outside of marriage, the research points to the same conclusion: relationships thrive when both partners invest in understanding each other, communicating well, and showing up consistently.

"The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home." -- Confucius