Young women are now less likely than young men to say they hope to get married someday, according to newly released research. This reality highlights an “anti-nuptial turn” among young women, a prominent sociologist warns.
The Pew Research Center recently released important new research showing young people’s interest in getting married and having children has declined significantly.
As of 2023, 67% of the nation’s 12th graders say they’ll hopefully choose to marry someday, down from 80% in 1993. Another 24% say they aren’t sure if they’ll get married, up from 16% 30 years ago.
Pew Research noted the shifting view of marriage among 12th graders is almost entirely due to changing opinions among young women.
“The share of boys saying [they want to get married] is virtually unchanged over the 30-year period. But the share among girls dropped by 22 percentage points,” Pew found.
“Boys are more likely than girls to say they want to get married someday (74% vs. 61%), but this wasn’t always the case. In 1993, a larger share of girls (83%) than boys (76%) said they wanted to get married.”
Additionally, the percentages of 12th graders who say that, if they get married, they’re very likely to stay married to the same person for life, and they’re very likely to want to have kids, have also decreased dramatically.
“A smaller share of 12th graders now than in 1993 say they’re very likely to stay married to the same person for life if they do tie the knot. About half (51%) say this, compared with 59% in 1993,” Pew found.
“The share of 12th graders who say they’re very likely to want to have kids in this situation has also decreased over this time span (48% in 2023 vs. 64% in 1993).”
Young women’s declining interest in marriage and having children is deeply concerning.
“Anti-nuptial turn among young women & adolescent girls is disastrous,” wrote sociologist and professor Brad Wilcox.
Katy Faust, children’s rights advocate and founder of Them Before Us, said the decline of interest in marriage among young women terrifies her “more than almost anything else.”
“Because of the nature of our bodies women have historically pursued marriage more,” she opined. “What kind of disastrous, antihuman messaging are young women being flooded with to return these kinds of results?”
Indeed, marriage is the preeminent human institution founded by God at the dawn of creation (Gen. 1:28). It is the singular most important human relationship designed to direct the sexual desires of adults, establish the future of humanity through procreation, and cause the sanctification of the spouses (Eph. 5:25-28). Marriage also beautifully represents Christ’s relationship with His bride, the church (Eph. 5:31-32).
If that weren’t enough, marriage is good for both men and women, helping them becoming safer, healthier, wealthier, happier and more sexually satisfied.
In fact, married mothers are twice as likely to report being “very happy” than unmarried childless women.
As Linda Waite and Maggie Gallagher write in their book The Case for Marriage,
Both men and women are safer, more sexually satisfied, and wealthier, if married, but women benefit more on sexual satisfaction, financial well-being, and protection from domestic violence, and they benefit about equally on emotional well-being. …
In most areas of life, marriage makes both men and women better off.
For these reasons, Jordan Boyd, writing in The Federalist, warns young women against writing off marriage.
“Generations of women in particular have bought the feminist lie that they don’t need a man or kids to be successful,” Boyd writes. “Feminism isn’t the only culprit here. Abortion, the decline in Christianity, the normalization of cohabitation, and the rise in divorce all played roles in this phenomenon.”
Yet, she adds, “Marriage, by all definitions, gives both men and women the financial, physical, and emotional boosts they need to flourish. In fact, a strong society is closely related to the prominence of the indispensable nuclear family.”
Christians, conservatives and all people of good will should make it a priority to teach young people a simple, but important lesson: Get married.
Related articles and resources:
Why Marriage Matters for Adults
Research Shows Marriage Boosts Well Being
Erika Kirk: ‘Charlie Loved God’s Design for Marriage and Family’
Is Marriage Making a Come Back? Scholars Share Some Good News
Brad Wilcox Exhorts Young People to ‘Get Married’
Brad Wilcox: The Correlation Between Marriage, Happiness, and Wealth
No, Young Adults, Marriage Has Not ‘Outlived Its Usefulness’
Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization
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