Marriage and Cohabitation

• Marriage rates are declining. In the 1860s there were about 60 men and over 50 women marrying per 1,000 unmarried adults, a trend that had climbed higher by the early 1970s. Since then rates have dramatically dropped. In 2009 there were only 21 men and 20 women marrying per 1,000 unmarried adults. Leaving aside factors such as war, the changes reflect changing attitudes.