As of 2021, 25% of 40-year-olds in the United States had never been married. This was a significant increase from 20% in 2010, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data.
Marriage has long been a central institution in the lives of Americans. In 1980, just 6% of 40-year-olds had never been married. But people born from the 1960s onward have been increasingly delaying marriage, and a growing share are forgoing it altogether.
The 2021 data marks a new milestone in that decadeslong trend.
While many unmarried 40-year-olds are living with a romantic partner, most are not. In 2022, 22% of never-married adults ages 40 to 44 were cohabiting.
Incredibly bad news from Pew today:
“A record-high share of 40-year-olds in the U.S. have never been married.”
Poor, working-class, and black Americans hit hardest.https://t.co/EYhQGPkqX2 @r_fry1 @pewresearch pic.twitter.com/yRJudXb9Ti
— Brad Wilcox (@BradWilcoxIFS) June 28, 2023