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How long should you wait before marrying your sweetheart?
Should you be afraid of marrying them too soon and making a mistake? How are other couples approaching this problem? What’s their solution if they have any?
My updated length of dating before marriage statistics guide for 2024 has everything you need to know, and more.
You can use this jump link to quickly jump to the KEY STATS section.
Also, all the references and resources I used in crafting my guide are listed at the bottom of the page.
Jump here: Length of Dating Before Marriage Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year| Length of Dating Before Marriage Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year (Detailed Info)
Table of Contents
Length of Dating Before Marriage Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year
Length of Dating Before Marriage Statistics, Facts and Trends for 2024
- Over 70% of couples wait 2+ years to get married. About 1 in 3 couples (29%) wait 5+ years to get engaged.
- Dating for over 3 years before marriage decreases divorce odds by 50%.
- For people over 32, each additional year they wait to marry increases divorce risk by 5%.
- The “best” age to get married is between 28 and 32 years old.
- The average engagement length is 6 months to 1 year.
- Two-thirds (66%) of married people say living together before marriage is the right move.
- For Mormons, the average age of marriage is 23 years old.
- Average length of dating before marriage varies from 30 to 47 months depending on location Ohio: 47.5 months. (longest) Indiana: 15 months (shortest) Alaska and Maine: ~42-43 months.
- About 50% of marriages in the US end in divorce, with 41% of first marriages ending in divorce.
- The median age for first marriages in the US: Men: 30.1 years old Women: 28.2 years old.
- Approximately 88% of Americans cite love as the primary reason for marriage.
- Around 45% of couples meet through online dating platforms and apps.
- Couples who spend over $20,000 on their wedding have a 46% higher rate of divorce than couples who spend between $5,000-$10,000.
- Interfaith couples have a 40% higher divorce rate than couples who share the same faith.
- The national marriage rate in the US is 6.1 marriages per 1,000 total population.
- About 7.7 million Americans (3.7%) are in unmarried cohabiting relationships.
- The average cost of a wedding in the US is $30,000.
- Couples who date for at least one year before getting engaged have a 20% lower divorce rate than couples who date less than a year.
- December is the most popular month for engagements (19% of all engagements).
- In the US 37% of engagements happen between the months of November to February.
- College-educated couples have a 13% lower divorce rate compared to couples without college degrees.
Length of Dating Before Marriage Statistics, Facts and Trends for This Year (Detailed Info)
How Long Do Most Couples Date Before Getting Married?
Over 70% of couples wait 2+ years to get married. About 1 in 3 couples (29%) wait even more, an average of 5+ years to get engaged.
A recent study showed that dating for over 3 years before marriage decreases divorce odds by 50%. And 3 years of dating is not a mandatory number to see benefits. Couples who date for at least 1 year before getting engaged have a 20% lower divorce rate than couples who date less than a year. So, many years of dating indicate the eventual marriage will be stable, but even just 1 year offer tremendous benefits for the long term survival of marriage.
However, you definitely don’t want to wait too long. The same study showed something contradictory. For people over 32, each additional year they wait to marry increases divorce risk by 5%.
What is Considered the Optimal Age Range for Marriage?
The “best” age to get married is between 28 and 32 years old, but really the best age is when you feel ready. Don’t allow any stat you read here to sway your opinion in any direction.
What’s the Typical Length of an Engagement Before Marriage?
The average engagement length is 6 months to 1 year. December is the most popular month for engagements (19% of all engagements).
In the US 37% of engagements happen between the months of November to February.
What Do Most Couples Think About Living Together Before Marriage?
Two-thirds (66%) of married people say living together before marriage is the right move and was the right move for them. This makes sense because people who’re incompatible and can’t live together are obviously not suited to be married.
What is the Current Divorce Rate in America?
In America about 50% of marriages in the US end in divorce, with 41% of first marriages ending in divorce. The rest of the world follows a very similar pattern.
What Motivates Most Americans to Get Married?
Approximately 88% of Americans cite love as the primary reason for marriage.
Love is the primary marriage reason for most American, but age also has something to do it. The median age for first marriages in the US for men is 30.1 years old and for women 28.2 years old.
How are Couples Meeting in the Modern Era?
Around 45% of couples meet through online dating platforms and apps. This is despite social media catfishing being so abundant online.
Is There a Connection Between Wedding Costs and Divorce Rates?
Interesting question!
A recent study done with the US marriage couples showed that couples who spend over $20,000 on their wedding have a 46% higher rate of divorce than couples who spend between $5,000-$10,000. This phenomena is currently unexplained for as you’d assume that couples who had spend more money would have more longevity to their marriage.
Note: the average cost of a wedding in the US is $30,000.
What is the Current Marriage Rate in America?
The national marriage rate in the US is 6.1 marriages per 1,000 total population. About 7.7 million Americans (3.7%) are in unmarried cohabiting relationships.
Do Education Levels and Religious Beliefs Affect Marriage Stability?
College-educated couples have a 13% lower divorce rate compared to couples without college degrees. Interfaith couples have a 40% higher divorce rate than couples who share the same faith. This could be because of large faith incompatibility or because of family pressure from two different sides (the woman’s and men’s family often meddle to highly detrimental effect).
How Does Dating Length Vary by Location in the US?
Average length of dating before marriage varies from 30 to 47 months depending on location:
- Ohio: 47.5 months (longest);
- Indiana: 15 months (shortest);
- Alaska and Maine: ~42-43 months.
Length of Dating Before Marriage Statistics Guide 2024 (FAQ)
How Long is it Normal to Date Before Marriage?
Normal dating time is until you’ve gotten to know your partner well and until you’re able to decide what you want to do, marry them or not.
Once you know what you want to do, it’s time to act.
What is the Divorce Rate by Length of Dating?
Couples who date longer before getting married are less likely to divorce:
- One to two years: couples who date for one to two years are 20% less likely to divorce.
- Three years or more: couples who date for three years or more are 39% less likely to divorce.
- Less than six months: couples who get married less than six months after starting to date have the highest risk of divorce.
How Should You Feel After 2 Years of Dating?
After 2 years of dating you should know for sure whether you want to marry your spouse or not. Whatever your feelings are, act on them decisively and don’t allow yourself to be pressured into doing what you feel isn’t best for you.
How Soon is too Soon to Consider Marriage?
You shouldn’t consider marring anyone until you get to know them well. 6 months is probably the minimum you should spend dating them before popping the question.
As a strategic move on your part you can date your chosen person for 3 months and then have them live with you for the next 3 months. If after 6 months you’re sure you want to spend your life with that person then you’re probably right.
How Long Should You Date Before Marriage According to Science?
According to some studies (which I link in the reference section of this article), dating for a few years before marriage is effective at decreasing the likelihood of divorce:
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- One to two years– couples who dated for one to two years were 20% less likely to get divorced than those who dated less than one year.
- Three years or more– couples who dated for three years or more were 39% to 50% less likely to get divorced than those who dated for less time.
Is 6 Months too Soon to Get Engaged?
6 months is not too soon to get engaged if you feel in your gut that time has come. Make sure you thoroughly get to know the person whom you wish to propose and it’s also not a bad idea to live for a few months together just to see how compatible you two are and whether you make a good team.
Length of Dating Before Marriage Statistics Guide 2024 (Conclusion)
My updated guide for 2024 lists the best and latest statistics, facts and trends about length of dating before marriage and how to decide when’s the right time to take that crucial step.
I hope you enjoyed it because the guide is now over.
During my research, I consulted these resources below:
References:
- 5-7 years is an appropriate amount of dating before thinking of marriage, and most people’s ~1-2 year estimate is why so many relationships fail- https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/comments/wrtav0/57_years_is_an_appropriate_amount_of_dating/
- This Is the Average Length of a Relationship Before Marriage- https://www.brides.com/story/this-is-how-long-most-couples-date-before-getting-married
- Do Marriages Last Longer If the Couple Dated for Longer First?- https://www.thecut.com/2018/06/do-marriages-last-longer-if-the-couple-dated-longer-first.html
- How Soon Is Too Soon to Propose? And More Dating Advice From Experts- https://www.theknot.com/content/hot-topic-how-long-should-you-date-before-getting-engaged
- How Long Do People Date Before Getting Married? We Found Out.- https://bridalmusings.com/191501/how-long-do-people-date-before-getting-married/
- What is the average time people date before getting married? How do they know if they are ready or not?- https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-average-time-people-date-before-getting-married-How-do-they-know-if-they-are-ready-or-not
- How Long Should You Date Before Getting Married?- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/meet-catch-and-keep/201710/how-long-should-you-date-getting-married
- New DU Study Highlights Risks of Living Together Before Engagement- https://liberalarts.du.edu/news-events/all-articles/new-du-study-highlights-risks-living-together-engagement
- How Long Do Couples Typically Date Before Getting Engaged?- https://www.brides.com/story/how-long-should-you-date-before-engaged
- How Long Should You Date Before Getting Married? Experts Weigh In- https://verilymag.com/2016/05/how-long-should-you-date-before-marriage
- https://snowmaddigital.com/how-long-should-you-date-before-getting-engaged
- 9 Length of Dating Before Marriage Statistics (2024)- https://www.datingadvice.com/studies/dating-before-marriage-statistics
Nikola Roza
Nikola Roza is a blogger behind Nikola Roza- SEO for the Poor and Determined. He writes for bloggers who don't have huge marketing budget but still want to succeed. Nikola is passionate about precious metals IRAs and how to invest in gold and silver for a safer financial future. Learn about Nikola here.