1 in 5 Americans Over 45 Still Unmarried: Marital Status Shifts

According to recent statistics, the median age at first marriage has increased significantly over the past century. In 1930, men and women married at ages 24 and 21, respectively. By 2023, this number had risen to 30 and 28. This shift is attributed to changes in life expectancy and priorities.

A closer look at marital status rates reveals that people are staying single longer, marrying later, divorcing less, and widow-ing older. The chart below illustrates the dramatic change in marital statuses for individuals of various ages:

| Age | Men Married (%) | Women Married (%) |

| — | — | — |

| 20-24 | 44% | 63% |

| 25-29 | 55% | 72% |

| 30-34 | 62% | 75% |

| 35-39 | 68% | 78% |

| 40-44 | 73% | 81% |

| 45-49 | 76% | 83% |

| 50-54 | 79% | 85% |

| 55-59 | 82% | 87% |

| 60+ | 84% | 89% |

Notably, women tend to marry younger than men, resulting in higher marriage rates for women at younger ages. However, the age difference appears to be decreasing, possibly due to increased female participation in the workforce.

Interestingly, men are more likely to be married at older ages (45+), particularly among those who have been widowed. This trend is expected to continue in the coming decades, highlighting the importance of analyzing and visualizing data beyond default assumptions.

Source: flowingdata.com

Related Videos

Related X Posts

The Wall Street Journal @WSJ · Jun 21
American women have never been this resigned to staying single. The challenges of finding a romantic partner have been made more complicated by a growing divide in education and career prospects between men and women. Read more: https://on.wsj.com/448WoC4

The Feminist Turned HouseWife @turnedwife · Apr 29
Look at the data: – Marriage rates fell. – Divorce rates skyrocketed. – Out-of-wedlock births exploded. – Men’s incentives to commit plummeted. Why commit when intimacy became freely available, no strings attached?

@tigerjvideo · Jul 5
In 1950, ~8.5% of Americans aged 21-40 were unmarried & childless. In 2025, it’s ~38.5%.

unrealAndrewRusnak @AndrewRusnakCCM · 5h
I think that’s changing though, slowly. Whether by choice or by sheer financial necessity, I’ve noticed a shift. And with that, a stronger focus on the family unit. Seems people are waking up to the fact that a strong, loving family is good for healthy societies.

Jael @JaelRuble · Jul 3
The value of family is a beautiful thing. There is an American subculture of people, basically well educated men in technology that are unmarried, childless. Has everyone talking about a population crisis. People arent having families like they use to, number wise.

Gender Studies for Men @JohnDavisJDLLM · Jul 6
Complete nonsense. Unmarried women now hold 82% of the debt in the US. They aren’t “independent” they are just in debt. They are way over their heads. No man wants them because they are massive liabilities. Try again.