The Health of Marriage Today

(Focus on the Family) — What is the health of marriage in America today?

Two key social indicators give us two very different answers:

1) The overwhelming majority of young people hold marriage and parenting as two “extremely important” life goals, and this majority has actually grown slightly in the past few years (77% for men and 86% for women).

2) If you look at the choices people actually make, however, the choice to marry and stay married has slowly and steadily declined over the past few decades, while co-habitation, non-marital childbearing and childlessness are all increasing markedly. Divorce is leveling off finally, but at a very high level.

So why can we value marriage so strongly as a highly important life goal, but act as if we don’t?

(Click HERE to read the Focus on the Family memo exploring this important issue.)