Unmarried America
USA Today reports that an increasing number of young adults ages 20-29 are delaying marriage. Among this demographic:
NEVER MARRIED
- 73% of young men in 2006 had never been married
>> up 9% from 64% in 2000 - 62.2% of young women in 2006 had never been married
>> up 8.8% from 53.4% in 2000
NOW MARRIED
- 24.6% of young men in 2006 are now married
>> down 8.3% from 32.9% in 2000 - 33.9% of young women in 2006 are now married
>> down 8% from 41.9% in 2000
The trend toward delaying marriage has emerged over several decades as economic and social forces have made it more difficult for those in their 20s to reach independence. Sociologists and demographers say other factors are also at work, including increasing numbers of cohabiting couples, more highly educated women who have fewer highly educated men of comparable age to partner with, and more choices open to women than in decades past.
For those reasons and others, experts say they don’t expect this upward trend in the ages for marriage to reverse.
What does this mean for the church?
Ministry to singles has undergone a dramatic demographic shift over the past 6 years. What worked in the ’90s may not be as effective or work at all with this newly widened age range.
Unfortunately, this trend has also led to more couples living together before marriage. The article highlights data from the U.S. Census Bureau that shows that the number of unmarried partner households rose from 5 million in 2000 to 6 million in 2006. In fact, 70% of the people who are getting married lived together first. It is an issue that needs addressed from the pulpit.
