4 ms·

Marriage rates in U.S. at all time low [pdf]

4 points by StatsAreFun 5y ago

StatsAreFun 5y ago
Using the latest (2019) marriage rate of 6.1% along with the historical rates since 1900[0], the rate of marriage per 1000 Americans is the lowest ever measured. The interesting question in my mind is what, if any, long-term impact could this have on mortality considering the rate of death for adults 25 and older who are married is significantly less (779.6 per 100k) than those never married (1,443.6 per 100k), widowed (1,656.9 per 100k), and divorced (1,363.8 per 100k)[1]. [0] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/marriage_rate_2018/marriage_rate_2018.htm https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/marriage_rate_2018/marr... [1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/mortality/mortality_marital_status_10_17.htm https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/mortality/mortality_mar...
pope_meat 5y ago
I'm in a 10 year relationship. Neither of us really wants to "get married," as we both find the institution very strange. How is it the states business to define our relationship. Happily contributing to this "problem."
shams93 5y ago
With most households having 2 incomes getting married comes with a large tax penalty.
- long_time_gone 5y ago
  There can be a marriage penalty, but married people also have more options to file their taxes and a host of other benefits we shouldn't ignore in this discussion. For example; cheaper insurance, Social Security benefits, family leave, veteran's/military benefits, estate planning benefits/exemptions, are direct monetary benefits. Along with a host of legal benefits like visiting rights, immigration/residency rights, divorce rights, medical decisions and ICU visitation. [1] https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/marriage-rights-benefits-30190.html https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/marriage-rights-bene...
  - StatsAreFun 5y ago
    That's a good point. To piggy back on this thread, here are a few more references for tax-related benefits to being married: [0], [1]. On the flip side, it may be more beneficial to not be married under certain circumstances: [2]. An interesting calculator can be found here: [3] * Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and this is not legal or tax advice! Please consult a qualified professional if you have questions related to your specific situation. [0] https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/marriage/7-tax-advantages-of-getting-married/L1XlLCh0m https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/marriage/7-tax-advantag... [1] https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/602851/marriage-and-taxes-what-you-need-to-know https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/602851/marriage-and-taxes-wh... [2] https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-it-comes-to-taxes-sometimes-it-pays-to-say-i-dont-11563528633 https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-it-comes-to-taxes-sometime... [3] https://tpc-marriage-calculator.urban.org/ https://tpc-marriage-calculator.urban.org/

4 points by StatsAreFun 5y ago

Using the latest (2019) marriage rate of 6.1% along with the historical rates since 1900[0], the rate of marriage per 1000 Americans is the lowest ever measured. The interesting question in my mind is what, if any, long-term impact could this have on mortality considering the rate of death for adults 25 and older who are married is significantly less (779.6 per 100k) than those never married (1,443.6 per 100k), widowed (1,656.9 per 100k), and divorced (1,363.8 per 100k)[1]. [0] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/marriage_rate_2018/marriage_rate_2018.htm https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/marriage_rate_2018/marr... [1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/mortality/mortality_marital_status_10_17.htm https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/mortality/mortality_mar...

pope_meat 5y ago

I'm in a 10 year relationship. Neither of us really wants to "get married," as we both find the institution very strange. How is it the states business to define our relationship. Happily contributing to this "problem."

shams93 5y ago

With most households having 2 incomes getting married comes with a large tax penalty.

long_time_gone 5y ago
There can be a marriage penalty, but married people also have more options to file their taxes and a host of other benefits we shouldn't ignore in this discussion. For example; cheaper insurance, Social Security benefits, family leave, veteran's/military benefits, estate planning benefits/exemptions, are direct monetary benefits. Along with a host of legal benefits like visiting rights, immigration/residency rights, divorce rights, medical decisions and ICU visitation. [1] https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/marriage-rights-benefits-30190.html https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/marriage-rights-bene...
- StatsAreFun 5y ago
  That's a good point. To piggy back on this thread, here are a few more references for tax-related benefits to being married: [0], [1]. On the flip side, it may be more beneficial to not be married under certain circumstances: [2]. An interesting calculator can be found here: [3] * Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and this is not legal or tax advice! Please consult a qualified professional if you have questions related to your specific situation. [0] https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/marriage/7-tax-advantages-of-getting-married/L1XlLCh0m https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/marriage/7-tax-advantag... [1] https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/602851/marriage-and-taxes-what-you-need-to-know https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/602851/marriage-and-taxes-wh... [2] https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-it-comes-to-taxes-sometimes-it-pays-to-say-i-dont-11563528633 https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-it-comes-to-taxes-sometime... [3] https://tpc-marriage-calculator.urban.org/ https://tpc-marriage-calculator.urban.org/