Cohabitation and Marriage: New Insights from Research

Strategic Insights -

As couples increasingly choose to live together before marriage, research reveals a concerning trend: cohabitation may be linked to a higher risk of marriage failure. A U.S. study analyzed data from the National Survey of Family Growth in 2002, finding that living together before marriage reduces the likelihood of a 10-year marriage by 6%. The study also discovered that the proportion of women in their late 30s who have cohabited has doubled in 15 years, reaching 61%.

Key Takeaways:

  • Cohabitation before marriage increases the risk of marriage failure, with a 6% lower likelihood of a 10-year marriage.
  • The proportion of women in their late 30s who have cohabited doubled in 15 years, reaching 61%.
  • Half of couples who cohabit marry within three years.
  • Couples who marry after age 26 or have a child eight months or more after marriage are more likely to stay married for over 10 years.
  • About 62% of women ages 25 to 44 were married, while 8% were cohabiting.
  • Men's figures were 59% married and 10% cohabiting.
  • One in five marriages will fail within five years, and one in three will last less than 10 years.
  • "Cohabitation is increasingly becoming the first co-residential union formed among young adults," as noted by the study authors.
  • The growing prevalence of cohabitation has led to an increase in the number of children born to unmarried cohabiting parents.

Statistics:

  • 39% of teens in grades 9-12 reported drinking alcohol in the past month in 2009, a 11% increase from 2008.
  • 25% of teens said they'd used marijuana in the last month in 2009, a 28% increase from 2008.
  • Use of the party drug Ecstasy within the last month increased from 4% in 2008 to 6% in 2009.
  • 31 million children in the United States participate in school-based lunch and breakfast programs.

Sources:

  • The New York Times
  • The Associated Press
  • HealthDay
  • The Partnership for a Drug-Free America
  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  • The School Nutrition Association
  • The National Center for Health Statistics
  • The National Survey of Family Growth