"Get Married" 6 Points

(Charlottesville, VA.)—EMBARGOED UNTIL FEBRUARY 13, 2024, 12:01AM

Contact: Chris Bullivant 

"Get Married," the New Book from IFS Senior Fellow Brad Wilcox, is Out Tomorrow!

Brad Wilcox's new book, Get Married, is out tomorrow, February 13, 2024. Here are six main findings that explore the value of marriage and the family, as we head into Valentine's Day.

1. Nothing predicts happiness for Americans better than (a good) marriage.


Odds of being "very happy" increase by...

2. Divorce is down since 1980—it's no longer the case that "1-in-2 marriages end in divorce."


Number of newly divorced people per 1,000 married Americans 

3. Boys raised apart from a married home are more likely to go to jail than graduate from college.


% Based on young men's outcomes by age 28.

So, given the importance of marriage, what's the secret to a happy and stable marriage?

4.  Regular date nights. Couples with regular date nights are happier, more sexually satisfied, and less divorce prone.


Sexual frequency and satisfaction among husbands and wives (%), by frequency of date nights. Among married adults aged 18-55.

5. Joint checking accounts. Couples with joint checking accounts are happier and less likely to divorce than couples who don't have joint accounts.


Marital Quality and Perceived Stability among Husbands and Wives (%), by Whether They Pool All Income Versus Keep Separate Accounts.

6. Churchgoing. Religious couples are happier, less divorce prone, and have more sex than secular couples.


% Reporting having sex with their spouse once a week or more often.
Based on married adults aged 18-55.

ENDS.

Notes.

1. Brad Wilcox, Future of Freedom Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies in Charlottesville, VA, 
2. Author website available at: brad-wilcox.com