Waiting To Tie The Knot: Couples Are Getting Married Much Later In Life, And Here’s Why
Waiting To Tie The Knot: Couples Are Getting Married Much Later In Life, And Here’s Why
Pushing The Knot
We’re no longer getting engaged to our high school sweetheart before we graduate, setting up a home by 19, and having a baby or two on our hip by 20. This was the norm 70 years ago, even 50 years ago, when you could provide for a family of 4 with one man’s income.
A recent study from the United States’ Census data shows that between the 50s and 60s, the average age for a woman to get married was around 20, and around 23 for men. Data from 2024 shows the average marrying age has jumped to 28 and 30 for men and women, respectively.
Why Is This Happening?
We don’t have time to really go through 80 years of sociology with you, but we’ll do our best to cover the basics. Really, what it's coming down to is a generational shift of priorities.
A combination of the effects of third-wave feminism, financial struggles, and expanding what's considered “normal” family units has opened the minds of the younger generations, leading us to think, “Why should we lock it down right now, when we have so much life left to live?”
Third-Wave Feminism
This particular wave of feminism had a high focus on intersectionality, self-empowerment, the freedom to have intimate relations without shame or disgust, and a major focus on violence against women. It started in the early 1990s and ended with the start of fourth-wave feminism around 2012
Younger millennials and Gen Zs experienced the intense, misogynistic backsliding during the latter years of third-wave feminism, especially with shows like Room Raiders, The Bachelor, and Joe Millionaire, which heavily focused on competition between women to receive the affections of a man.
Young women today have pushed against the societal expectations of having a man and a child before the age of 25, either for personal, professional, or even moral reasons. Instead, the focus on gaining higher education, traveling, or exploring various types of relationships is common before settling down, if at all.
Financial Struggles
We don’t need to tell you how hard it is to pay for school, housing, or weddings these days, but these high-reaching numbers are a part of the equation.
Think about it: you graduate from post-secondary with tens of thousands of dollars in debt into a suffocating work force. If you don’t live with your parents, most of the money you make from your minimum wage job is going to living expenses - even a full-time job in your field is mostly paying for your living expenses. A down payment for a home requires years and years of savings, and even the most basic weddings cost upwards of $30,000. Where does anyone expect to find this money?
Non-Traditional Family Units
A combination of the previous reasons has led to an explosion of non-traditional relationship styles. Common law is much more common these days, while other young adults explore things like polyamory, platonic-based relationships, or compound living to mitigate the rising tide of financial struggles.
All in all, getting married later in life isn’t a bad thing; instead, it's the result of decades-long conversations, inflation, and meeting personal desires outside of building a home and a family.
