In the year 2026, the concept of marriage has transformed significantly from past decades. Fewer Americans are marrying than ever before, and when they do, they decide to do it much later in life.
In 2024, US adults were less likely to marry than in almost any previous year since the U.S. Census Bureau started tracking marital status in 1940. The percentage of households headed by married couples was 47.1%, the second lowest share since 2022’s all-time low of 46.8%. Both men and women have seen a significant decrease in marital rates, and when they do marry, it tends to be older. Moreover, most unmarried people have never been married, as opposed to being divorced or widowed, though divorce rates have also been increasing. At the same time, however, the share of men and women who are widowed—the smallest percentage of Americans who are unmarried—has dropped.
The percentage of households headed by married couples was at its highest back in 1949, at 78.8%. Since 2010, when it was 49.7%, the percentage has been below 50% every year. This means that for more than a decade, less than half the number of American households have included a married couple.
When it comes to age, the average age for a first marriage for men and women in 2024 was 30.2 years and 28.6 years, respectively. The highest the average age has been for men was in 2020 when it stood at 30.5 years, and was highest for women in the years of 2021 and 2024 when it was at 28.6 years.
Since the Census Bureau started tracking marital ages in 1890, the lowest median ages of marriage were in 1956, when it was at 22.5 for men and 20.1 for women. The story changes when the average marital age is compared to life expectancy. Comparing marriage age with average life expectancy, Americans are marrying sooner in their lifetimes than previous generations.
When race and ethnicity is examined in comparison to average marital age, marriage rates have declined for all races and ethnicities except Asian men and women, who’ve had the highest rate among all races and ethnicities since 2004. Their marriage rate has remained stable, with 60.8% of men and 62.2% of Asian women being married in 2024, nearly identical to the 1990 rates of 60.8% for men and 62.5% for women. Marriage rates among people who identify as White, Hispanic, and Black have dropped since 1990.
Looking at the percentage of Americans who are divorced, the share for the number of divorced men and women has increased. In 1950, 2.0% of men and 2.4% of women were divorced, while in 2024, 8.4% of men and 10.8% of women were divorced. The opposite is true for the percentage of widowed Americans. In 1950, 4.1% of men were widowed, while 2.9% were in 2024. The percentage of widowed women similarly dropped, from 11.8% to 8.1%.
As these statistics have shown, marriage will constantly evolve as time goes on. But for now, Americans are taking it slower than ever.
