Global marriage decline threatens our future
Listening to and watching the plethora of loyalty pranks in Nigeria has become a pass time for me. A few others from America, usually called ‘Golddigger’ pranks also compliment this fancy. Why? Perhaps because of personal history or because of my belief that family is the fulcrum on which society revolves. In this wise, I may be fantasying that an understanding of family values would reflect the future of the society in which I live.
So given the large number of loyalty pranks and testing going on, is there an ‘epidemic’of infidelity? What do the statistics show? We may not have data on courtship but we have some interesting data on the state of marriages in a few countries to provide us an insight. Although these figures are attributed to the pandemic, a sizeable portion of problem showed up in acts of infidelity.
Covid-19 & marriage
Here are some figures illustrating how COVID-19 has affected divorce rates in various nations:
- the divorce rate has been rising. For instance, the divorce rate in the United States has increased from about 3.2 per 1,000 people in recent years to about 2.5 per 1,000 people in the 1960s.
- The United States: From March to June 2020, divorce rates in the United States rose 34% compared to the same period in 2019, according to a study by Legal Templates, an online provider of legal documents.
- The Office for National Statistics in the United Kingdom reported that divorce applications in England and Wales increased by 18.4% in 2020 compared to the previous year. In close to 50 years, this is the greatest annual increase in divorce petitions.
- China: In March 2020, the city of Xi’an reported a record number of divorce petitions filed in a single day. Officials attributed the rise to the stress of isolation and quarantine during the 2020 pandemic.
- Sweden: The number of divorce petitions filed there increased by 13% in 2020 compared to the year before, according to data from the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare.
- Italy: According to a study conducted by the Italian Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, divorce inquiries rose 30% during the lockdown in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
To confirm that the marriage institution is not well, we discovered that global marriage and divorce trends show an unhealthy decline. Here are the results: - there has been a decline in marriage rates worldwide. The global marriage rate was 4.5 marriages per 1,000 people in 2020, down from 5.5 in 2000, according to the UN.
Table of Effect of Covid-19 on marriage
| Country | Increase/Decrease in Divorce Rates |
|---|---|
| United States | Increased by 34% from March to June 2020 |
| United Kingdom | Increased by 18.4% in 2020 compared to the previous year |
| China | Record number of divorce petitions filed in a single day in March 2020 |
| Sweden | Increased by 13% in 2020 compared to the previous year |
| Italy | Divorce inquiries rose 30% during the lockdown in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 |
Global Marriage Rate (1,000)
| Year | Global Marriage Rate (per 1,000 people) |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 4.5 |
| 2000 | 5.5 |
So we can safely say that relationships are not turning into life commitments. Not so fast… Another statistic will shock you.
Unmarried cohabitation data
USA: According to the National Survey of Family Growth, cohabitation now occurs before over two-thirds (64%) of first marriages in the country. In addition, from 523,000 in 1970 to 8.2 million in 2019, there are more unmarried couples living together.
Europe: Cohabitation has increased in frequency across many European nations, particularly in Scandinavia. In Sweden, for instance, cohabitation is now more popular than marriage for couples under the age of 30, and more than half of all families are now headed by unmarried couples.
Australia: Since 1981, the number of cohabitating couples has more than tripled, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In Australia in 2016, there were 1.9 million cohabiting couples.
Canada: According to Statistics Canada, cohabitation is currently the most typical type of family structure for couples in the 25 to 29 age range. Since 1981, the number of common-law unions in Canada has more than multiplied four times.
These data show clearly that the young generation is losing confidence in marriage institution. Apart from the complicated divorce procedures, infidelity may account for why many now prefer cohabitation without commitments.
Rate of Cohabitation in five countries
| Country | Year | Percentage of cohabiting couples |
|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 2019 | 64% |
| Australia | 2019 | 16% |
| UK | 2020 | 25% |
| USA | 2020 | 60% |
| Canada | 2016 | 21% |
Potential consequences of decline in new marriages
An overall decrease in new marriages could have a number of negative effects. These are some possible scenarios:
Fewer kids: Since marriage has historically been linked to higher birth rates, a reduction in new marriages may result in fewer kids being born.
Change in family structure: Family composition and structure changes could result from a fall of newlyweds because marriage has historically been the cornerstone of the nuclear family.
A drop in new marriages could result in changes to the structure and makeup of families because marriage has historically been the cornerstone of the nuclear family.
Economic repercussions: Since marriage has economic repercussions for individuals and society as a whole, such as tax advantages and joint property ownership, a decline in new marriages may have these effects.
Legal repercussions: Because marriage entails obligations and protections under the law, it may affect how the law is applied to matters like inheritance, child custody, and property rights.
Social inequality implications: The drop in new marriages may affect various facets of society differently and may increase already-existing social inequities.
Effects on mental health: Because marriage has many positive effects on mental health, a reduction in new marriages may be detrimental to mental health results.
Conclusion
Marriage as we know it is under threat. Decline in marriage may seem expedient but would be inimical in the long run.
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Asoya Relationship Musings - ARM 
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