Have you noticed that fewer people are getting married these days? And those that do are waiting longer? According to the CDC, marriage rates are decreasing every year. At the same time, divorce rates are staying constant. So what does this all mean?

Testing Out the Waters

Those decreasing marriage rates are being partially displaced by an increased number of cohabiting couples. Actually, a majority of first marriages begin with unmarried cohabitation. So, is this new trend good or bad? You’ll probably see studies showing that divorce rates among married couples that previously cohabitated are slightly higher.

This is only partially true.

It turns out that the age at which couples get married is the strongest predictor of divorce. The younger a couple is when they say “I do”, the higher chance they have for splitting up down the road. Actually, the research shows that the probability for divorce drops substantially after the age of 23. What’s the moral of the story?

Kids, hold your horses.