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By Suzanne Blake
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While the younger generations have been known for forgoing tradition, Gen Z is actually more pro-marriage than their parents, according to a new study, but one expert told Newsweek the reason behind that shift in mentality isn't necessarily because of an increase in love or optimism.
The Times Generation Z study revealed only a fifth of 18- to 27-year-olds thought marriage was "irrelevant," and a third said it was better for a couple to be married before having kids.
That was actually a higher number of young adults in favor of marriage than 20 years ago, when 39 percent said marriage was "irrelevant."
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Why It Matters
While many may want marriage in the future, Gen Z has been far more likely to be single than other generations.
While only 28 percent of millennials said they were single in a recent Coupon Birds survey, a whopping 46 percent of Gen Z were without a partner.
Despite being more likely to be partnered up, millennials have often been blamed for sinking overall marriage rates.
Over the last 50 years, marriage rates dropped by roughly 60 percent, according to the National Center for Family & Marriage Research.
What To Know
Gen Z appears to have a more traditionalist and conservative view of marriage than their parents, according to the recently released Times Gen Z study.
In 2004, 39 percent of young adults said marriage was an "irrelevant" institution, compared to just 21 percent today.
Of the Gen Z age group, 61 percent said they disagreed that marriage was irrelevant, signaling they might make it more of a priority than their millennial elders.
Gen Z was also conservative in other ways outside of their stance on marriage.
Only 23 percent of 18- to 27-year-olds said their friends commonly had one-night stands. That's a sharp decline compared to the 78 percent of millennials who said yes 20 years ago.
What People Are Saying
Generational expert and HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek: "The shift toward marriage doesn't really surprise me, but maybe not for a romantic reason. Gen Z has grown up watching Millennials get screwed—skyrocketing housing costs, stagnant wages, student debt traps, and a work culture that treats burnout and overwork like an admirable personality trait. Millennials didn't reject marriage and kids because they didn't want them—they were priced out. Gen Z sees that and, instead of rejecting traditional relationships outright, they're looking for stability in an economy that offers them none."
What Happens Next
Rather than just purely romantic, Driscoll said for many Gen Z-ers, marriage is essentially about economic survival.
"In a country where your access to healthcare, housing, and even basic financial security is tied to your relationship status, marriage becomes a necessary strategy," Driscoll said. "They aren't embracing 1950s-style domesticity but they do recognize that the system is rigged against single people."
Unless wages start keeping pace with inflation and affordable housing becomes more widespread, Driscoll said it's unlikely that Gen Z will reverse declining marriage and birth rates.
"The U.S. loves to lecture young people about family values while making it impossible to afford one," Driscoll said. "If policymakers actually wanted more marriages and babies, they'd push for universal healthcare, affordable childcare, and fair wages instead of just scolding people for not tying the knot sooner."
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