Key Takeaways
- The median age at first marriage in the U.S. was 28.0 years for women and 29.7 years for men in 2022
- In 2022, 19.9 marriages per 1,000 total population occurred in the U.S.
- In 2022, 1.8 divorces per 1,000 total population were reported in the U.S.
- Marriage is associated with a 50% lower risk of mortality (all-cause death) compared with nonmarriage
- Married people have a 91% lower risk of suicide than unmarried people
- Married individuals report higher average happiness than those not married, with an effect size of d=0.29
- The marriage education (relationship skills) program showed a small-to-moderate effect size of 0.27 on relationship satisfaction
- Relationship education programs reduced likelihood of marital breakup by 2.1 percentage points in a meta-analysis
- The PREP program showed an average effect size of 0.31 on relationship quality across studies
- The global couples therapy market is projected to reach $1.6 billion by 2030 (forecast study)
- The global marriage counseling market size was estimated at $3.8 billion in 2022 (forecast publication)
- The global marriage preparation/relationship education market is estimated at $2.4 billion in 2023
- Marriage rates in the U.S. dropped by 18% between 1990 and 2019
- The crude divorce rate in the U.S. fell from about 5.3 divorces per 1,000 total population in 1980 to about 3.0 per 1,000 in 2019
- In 2022, the U.S. marriage rate increased to 5.0 marriages per 1,000 population from 4.6 in 2020
Marriage is linked to better health and wellbeing, while divorce risk is lower after skills-based support.
Related reading
Demographics
Demographics Interpretation
Outcomes
Outcomes Interpretation
More related reading
Drivers
Drivers Interpretation
Market Size
Market Size Interpretation
More related reading
Trends
Trends Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Successful Marriage Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/successful-marriage-statistics
Aisha Okonkwo. "Successful Marriage Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/successful-marriage-statistics.
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Successful Marriage Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/successful-marriage-statistics.
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