

While most Americans say cohabitation is acceptable, many see societal benefits in marriage. About eight-in-ten adults younger than age 30 (78%) say that cohabitation is acceptable even if the couple doesn’t plan to marry, compared with 71% of those ages 30 to 49, 65% of those 50 to 64 and 63% of those 65 and older. Younger adults are more likely than their older counterparts to find it acceptable for an unmarried couple to live together. Another 16% say it’s acceptable, but only if the couple plans to marry, and 14% say it’s never acceptable for an unmarried couple to live together.

Over the same period, the share of Americans who are living with an unmarried partner has risen from 3% to 7%.Ģ Most Americans (69%) say cohabitation is acceptable even if a couple doesn’t plan to get married. Looking at present relationships, 53% of adults ages 18 and older are currently married, down from 58% in 1995, according to data from the Current Population Survey. Most adults ages 18 to 44 who have cohabited (62%) have only ever lived with one partner, but 38% have had two or more partners over the course of their life. By contrast, in 2002, 54% of adults in this age group had ever cohabited and 60% had ever married. Among adults ages 18 to 44, 59% have lived with an unmarried partner at some point in their lives, while 50% have ever been married, according to Pew Research Center analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth.

Here are seven key findings from the report:ġ A larger share of adults have cohabited than have been married. The study also explores the experiences of adults who are married and those who are living with a partner, finding that married adults express higher levels of relationship satisfaction and trust in their partner than do those who are cohabiting. Still, a narrow majority sees societal benefits in marriage. Amid these changes, most Americans find it acceptable for unmarried couples to live together, even for those who don’t plan to get married, according to a new Pew Research Center study. adults who have ever lived with an unmarried partner has risen. As marriage rates have declined, the share of U.S.
