Research Shows Young Men Want Marriage Yet Lack Confidence in Dating
April 1, 2026
An important new survey from the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) on the marital and fatherhood interests of young men in America tell us that only 6% of those age 18 through 23 are married and just 25% of those between 24 and 29-years of age have a wedding ring on their finger. And less than one-third of unmarried men are currently in a romantic relationship. For those young men who do marry, most of them marry after age 30 as the average age of first marriage for men is 30.2.
As IFS notes, “Young men, in sum, are having a hard time in matters of love.”
