Marriage fast facts: BGSU experts available for insight, analysis ahead of Valentine’s Day

Ahead of Valentine’s Day on Friday, Feb. 14, researchers with the renowned National Center for Family and Marriage Research (NCFMR) at Bowling Green State University are offering fast facts regarding American marriages based on the latest available data:

• The age at which Americans are entering their first marriage continues to rise
  • The median age for women in their first marriage is 28.6
  • The median age for men in their first marriage is 30.5
• In 2023, there were about 2.4 million new marriages in the US, with more than 1.8 million being first marriages
• Roughly 76% of women lived with their spouse before getting married
• In 2023, the marriage-to-divorce ratio was 2.38, meaning there were about two marriages for every divorce that year
• In 2023, the remarriage rate was higher for men than women

BGSU NCFMR researchers Susan Brown, Wendy Manning, and Krista Westrick-Payne are available for additional insight and interviews regarding American marriage trends ahead of the holiday.

For the latest available BGSU NCFMR data, visit BGSU.edu/ncfmr/resources/data/family-profiles.