Half of U.Southward. adults today are married, a share that has remained relatively stable in recent years but is down ix pct points over the past quarter century and dramatically different from the top of 72% in 1960, according to newly released demography data.

The refuse in the share of married adults can be explained in part by the fact that Americans are marrying subsequently in life these days. In 2016, the median historic period for a commencement marriage was 27.4 for women and 29.v for men – roughly seven years more than the median ages in 1960 (twenty.3 for women and 22.8 for men).

But delayed marriage may not explicate all of the drop-off. The share of Americans who have never married has been rising steadily in recent decades. At the same time, more adults are living with a partner instead of marrying and raising children exterior of marriage.

Union rates are also more closely linked to socio-economic status than ever earlier, according to a Pew Inquiry Center analysis of Census Bureau data that shows that the education gap in marital status has continued to widen.

In 2015, among adults ages 25 and older, 65% with a four-year college degree were married, compared with 55% of those with some college teaching and 50% among those with no education across high school. Twenty-five years earlier, the marriage rate was above sixty% for each of these groups.

Wedlock rates proceed to vary widely by race and ethnicity. In 2015, 54% of white adults ages xviii and older were married. This is lower than the share of Asians who were married (61%) only significantly higher than the share of Hispanics (46%) or blacks (30%). The gap between whites and blacks has remained adequately consistent over time.

One-in-7 never-married adults say they don't want to get married

Among adults who accept never been married, 58% say they would similar to become married anytime and 27% are not certain if they desire to get married. Even so, 14% say they practise not want to get married, co-ordinate to a Pew Research Heart survey conducted in Baronial amidst four,971 U.S. adults.

Never-married adults who take not completed college are more likely than college graduates to say they don't programme on marrying in the future. Amid those ages 25 and older, 20% of never-married adults without a bachelor's caste say they do not want to get married, compared with 11% amid 4-yr college graduates.

Adults ages 50 and older who accept never been married are about three times every bit probable to say they don't desire to get married as never-married adults younger than fifty (32% versus 11%). Overall, similar shares of never-married men and women say they do non want to get married anytime.

For unmarried adults who have previously been married, tying the knot again holds less entreatment. Only almost a quarter (23%) of single adults who have previously been married say they would similar to ally again, 45% say they don't desire to get married over again and an additional 30% say they aren't sure.

Majority of never-married adults say they haven't found the right person, simply many also cite financial reasons

Among adults who have never been married but say they are open to marrying in the future, about half-dozen-in-ten (59%) say that a major reason they are not married is that they haven't found the right person. An additional 13% say this is a minor reason they are not married today. Majorities across a range of demographic groups cite this as a major reason why they are not married.

Well-nigh four-in-ten never-married adults (41%) who say they may want to ally in the hereafter say that non existence financially stable is a major reason they are not currently married, and 28% point to this as a minor reason. Fewer – just notwithstanding a substantial share – say that a major (24%) or minor (xxx%) reason they are non married is that they aren't ready to settle downward.

Never-married adults with family incomes nether $75,000 are more than probable than those with higher incomes to say that non being financially secure is a major reason they are not married: 47% of those with incomes less than $30,000 and 40% of those with incomes of $xxx,000 to $74,999 say this is the case, compared with 21% of those with incomes of $75,000 or higher.

Nonwhite adults who accept never been married are also more probable than whites to say a major reason they aren't married is that they are non financially stable (48% vs. 33%).

For young adults who have never been married, not beingness financially stable and not existence ready to settle down loom large as reasons why they are not married. Roughly half of never-married adults ages 18 to 29 (51%) say not being financially stable is a major reason they are not married, compared with 27% of those ages 30 to 49 and 29% of those fifty and older.

Immature adults are also more likely than their older counterparts to cite not being gear up to settle down equally a major reason why they aren't currently married: 31% of never-married adults ages 18 to 29 say this, compared with xiv% of those ages 30 to 49 and eighteen% of those 50 and older.

There are no major differences by age group when it comes to non having establish the right person – like shares of young, centre-aged and older adults who have never married say this is a major reason why.

Note: See total topline results and methodology here (PDF).

Kim Parker is director of social trends enquiry at Pew Enquiry Middle.

Renee Stepler is a former research analyst who focused on social and demographic trends research at Pew Research Center.