Young adults abandon marriage as pensioners overtake under-25s – report

Older men are actually more prone to marry than men of their early twenties, in accordance with a latest report that paints a stark picture of the long-term decline of marriage in England and Wales.

The study, “I Do?,” published by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), suggests the institution of marriage has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past five many years – particularly amongst young adults.

Among men aged 66-plus, the wedding rate currently stands at 5.6 per 1,000 – higher than the 4.1 per 1,000 recorded for men aged 20-24.

The reversal is striking in comparison with recent history. In 1997, young men were marrying at a rate of 23.1 per 1,000 in comparison with 4.8 per 1,000 for pensioners.

Half a century ago, marriage in early maturity was common. In 1970, marriage by 25 was the norm for 62% of men. Today, that figure has fallen to only 2%.

The CSJ calculates that marriage rates for young men have declined by 98% for the reason that early Seventies, with a similarly steep 97% drop amongst young women.

Overall, marriage rates have fallen by 77% for men and 73% for girls up to now 50 years. 

The variety of weddings has greater than halved for the reason that early Seventies, at the same time as the UK population has grown by greater than 10 million.

In 1973, around 400,000 marriages were recorded. By 2023, that number had dropped to 224,402 – the smallest annual total other than the pandemic period for the reason that 1850s.

The report highlights a very concerning factor: 100,000 couples who postponed their weddings through the pandemic didn’t set latest dates.

Unlike previous national crises, including each World Wars, there was no post-crisis surge in marriages.

The median age at first marriage has also continued to rise, with women now marrying on the age of 33 for the primary time in recorded history. As recently because the Seventies, the typical age at marriage was 25.

The CSJ argues that marriage in early maturity has “almost completely disappeared,” marking a profound social shift.

The think tank links the decline in marriage to broader social challenges. Its evaluation suggests that cohabiting couples face double rates of domestic abuse and separation during their children’s early years compared with married couples.

The report also connects marriage to economic stability, noting that single-parent households are significantly more prone to experience prolonged unemployment than two-parent households.

Programme Lead on the CSJ, Dan Lilley, described the findings as “devastating news.”

“Marriage is some of the necessary foundations of society … ” he said. “Better outcomes for kids, less loneliness, greater prosperity and birth rates. This is without mentioning the productivity and other economic advantages.”

Despite the sharp fall in marriage rates, public attitudes appear more complex.

Survey data cited within the report suggests that a robust majority of young people still aspire to marry. Among single adults below 30, 86% of girls and 80% of men say they would really like to tie the knot.

Divorce rates, meanwhile, have been falling steadily since their pinnacle within the Nineties. The proportion of couples divorcing inside ten years of marriage is at its lowest level for 4 many years, standing at 16.8 per cent in 2023 — almost an identical to the 16.7 per cent recorded in 1983.

Commenting in The Daily Telegraph, Rev Robert Byrne reflected on his own marriage at 25, describing it as “the chance of a lifetime” and arguing that marriage challenges the trendy tendency toward radical individualism.

“There isn’t an ideal time … ” he wrote. “But that has never been the purpose.”

The CSJ concludes that the sharp retreat from marriage, particularly amongst young adults, represents a big but largely neglected shift in British society.

“People wish to get married,” said Lilley. “We must be helping foster good relationships and an environment where marriage is way easier.”