CS MONITOR – June 15 – Singles now outnumber married adults in the US. One in 7 lives alone (~31M compared with 4M in 1950). Only 30% of Millennials say that having a successful marriage is “one of the most important things” in life, according to the Pew Research Center. In 1950, married couples represented 78% of households in the US. In 2011, the US Census Bureau reported, that it had dropped to 48%. The average age at which both men and women first marry has been creeping upward, to 27 for women and 29 for men. It was 20 for women and 22 for men in 1960. People focus on their careers and their own personal fulfillment. Also it is singles, not marrieds, who are the most active. When people get married, they have less contact with their friends. The definition of “single” is a bit vague. Statistically, it simply means unmarried. And that leaves plenty of room for different family structures.
by Stephanie Hanes
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