Democrats are significantly less likely to marry than their Republican counterparts, according to a new Gallup survey released Thursday.
No significant difference existed between marriage rates of middle-aged Republicans and Democrats for most of the 20th century, according to Gallup. Marriage rates for Democrats aged 30-50 were once as high as 90% in the 1950s and 1970s, falling to just under 60% after 1990 and below 50% in 2021 and 2024.
The survey revealed that Democrats’ marital rates began to plummet in the 1980s.
Marriage rates have significantly declined for Independents, mirroring the trends seen with Democrat adults, according to the poll. Meanwhile, Republicans’ marriage rates fell from a peak of 90% in 1965 to under 80% in 1990 and currently sit at 67% in 2024.
Since 2000, Republicans have maintained an average 18 point lead above the Democratic marriage rate.
The enduring marriage gap. pic.twitter.com/MQYSLRDJvp
— Daniel Cox (@dcoxpolls) July 11, 2024
More Democrats are opting out of marriage entirely, as the number of Democrats who report having never married tripled between 1979 and 2024, from 8% to 26%, according to Gallup. Conversely, the number of Republicans who report the same have increased at a slower rate over the same time frame, from 6% to 12%.
Differences in attitudes towards marriage seem to play a pivotal role, particularly about whether marriage is an outdated institution and belief in whether married people are happier, according to Gallup.
In a surveyed group ranging in age from 20-50, 81% of Democrats said that having children outside of marriage is morally acceptable, while 71% of Independents and 64% of Republicans said the same, according to Gallup data from 2021-2024.
Republicans consistently place greater value on the traditional institution of marriage, viewing it as more central to personal happiness and societal stability compared to Democrats, according to the poll. The survey indicates that Republicans are significantly more likely to believe in the benefits of marriage for happiness and to reject the notion that marriage is outdated.
Democrats are twice as likely as Republicans to say that married people are generally happier than unmarried people, according to the most recent data from the General Social Survey. Comparatively, in 1988, most adults under 50 agreed that married people are happier.
Gallup interviews at least 1,000 adults over the age of 18 for each of its Gallup Poll Social Series surveys. The poll has a margin of error of 4%.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Brooke Cagle/Unsplash)
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