More Americans Think Couples Don’t Need to Marry

The traditional notion that a couple who have been together for a long time should get married has broken down. The number of people who have been in “romantic partnerships” and have not married has topped people who have decided to get married to those with whom they have had long-term relationships. At the same time, people who are married trust their partners more and are more satisfied with their relationships.

A new study from Pew indicates that the trends of what is acceptable in long-term relationships have changed. Nevertheless, “Amid these changes, most Americans find cohabitation acceptable, even for couples who don’t plan to get married. Even so, a narrow majority says society is better off if couples in long-term relationships eventually get married.”

As further proof:

While the share who are currently cohabiting remains far smaller than the share who are married, the share of adults ages 18 to 44 who have ever lived with an unmarried partner (59%) has surpassed the share who has ever been married (50%), according to a Pew Research Center analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG).

Not surprisingly, what is viewed as acceptable is different by age group, with older Americans holding opinions that are more traditional. While 55% of adults in the age group 18 to 29 think long-term couples who decide not to marry are just as well off as those who get married, the figure drops to 35% among those who are 65 and older.

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The biggest difference in attitudes to people who do not marry and those who do is odds that partners will be faithful. Seventy-one percent of those living together think their partner will be faithful to them, while among married people, the number is 84%. The difference in skepticism between the two groups may be a reason to get married in and of itself.

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