As society has moved further toward nontraditional unions, new research shows traditional marriage is linked to higher fertility rates while cohabitation and relationship instability is linked to lower fertility.
“Marriage and cohabitation are far from indistinguishable in a country often described as a second demographic transition forerunner,” the study out of Finland finds.
Shannon Osaka, The Washington Post
Madison Colombo, Fox News
Lyman Stone, Peter Foreshaw Brookes, The Critic
Who Cheats More? The Demographics of Infidelity in America
Male Sexlessness is Rising But Not for the Reasons Incels Claim
Counterintuitive Trends in the Link Between Premarital Sex and Marital Stability
The U.S. Divorce Rate Has Hit a 50-Year Low
Does Having Children Make People Happier in the Long Run?
Weekly roundup of research, commentary, and insights changing the national conversation on the family.
P.O. Box 1502 Charlottesville, VA 22902
© 2026 Institute for Family Studies
© 2026 Institute for Family Studies
Before you go, consider subscribing to our weekly emails so we can keep you updated with latest insights, articles, and reports.
Before you go, consider subscribing to IFS so we can keep you updated with news, articles, and reports.
We’ll keep you up to date with the latest from our research and articles.