Statistics of Marriage

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING...

Being married has many legal advantages and rights when compared to "living together." Among these are the right to:
1) file joint income tax returns with the IRS and State taxing authorities, and claim dependency deductions, 2) receive
marital and dependency medical, social security, disability, unemployment, veterans', pension and public assistance benefits, 3) receive a share of the deceased spouse's estate under intestate succession laws, 4) claim gift and estate
tax benefits, 5) sue for wrongful death, loss of consortium, alienation of affection and criminal conversation, 6) receive
family rates for insurance, 7) avoid the deportation of a non-citizen spouse, 8) enter hospital intensive care units, jails
and other places where visitors are restricted to immediate family, 9) live in neighborhoods zoned "families only",
10) make medical decisions re. your spouse in the event of a disability, and 11) claim the marital communication privilege

• Marriages - An estimated 2,334,000 marriages were performed in 1993 (United States statistics). This is the smallest number of marriages performed since 1979 (2,331,337). The marriage rate per 1,000 population also dropped from the third straight year; in 1993 it was 9.0, the lowest rate since 1964. (Rounded off this approximates the solemnization of one marriage every 13 seconds).

• Divorces - The number of divorces granted in 1993 (1,187,000) was 2% lower than in 1992 (1,215,000). The divorce rate per 1,000 population was also lower in 1993 (4.6) than in 1992 (4.8) and was the lowest rate since 1964.. (Rounded off this approximates the granting of one divorce every 27 seconds).

• The number of married persons increased from 95 million to 114.5 million between 1970 and 1993, although the increase in unmarried adults was greater (from 37.5 million to 72.6 million).

• The number of never-married persons doubled from 21.4 million to 42.3 million between 1970 and 1993; never-married persons accounted for the largest share of unmarried adults.

• The median age at first marriage continued to increase. In 1993, it was 26.5 for men and 24.5 for women, versus 23.2 and 20.8 respectively in 1970.

• In 1987, 65.7% of all brides married for the first time whereas 34.4% of total marriages were second or multiple.

• While 58% of all men in the U.S. are married, only 53% of women are. This is due to the larger number of women (99,019,000) versus men (91,033,000).

• The median age of first-married brides has increased by one year per decade since 1961. In 1990 the median age of first-married brides was 23.9 years and for grooms 26.1 years.

• Marriage, divorce and remarriage rates in the U.S. are the highest in the world. By age 45, only 55 of Americans had still never married.

• Overall there are 84 single men for every 100 single women in the U.S. The ratio of single men to women is higher, though, among young people.