Why Is Marriage Important to Happiness?

Parents should teach their children the value of marriage because married people are happier, and happier people make stronger families, communities, states, and nations. Although the view of marriage is declining, Gallup researchers found that “married Americans are more apt to be thriving than their never married or divorced peers or those who cohabit” as reported by Lois Collins in The Deseret News. Collins reported the following: 

“Gallup well-being data from 2009 to 2023 find that married people are much more likely to be thriving in their well-being than adults who have never married, are divorced or are living with a domestic partner,” wrote Jonathan Rothwell for Gallup, noting people were categorized as “thriving,” “struggling” or “suffering” depending on the scores they gave their lives – current and future – on a ladder scale with steps labeled 0 to 10.

“Those who rate their current life a 7 or higher and their anticipated life in five years an 8 or higher are classified as thriving,” Rothwell wrote.

The data suggest that across the 14 years, married adults ages 25 to 50 fell into the thriving range far more often – “by double-digit margins” – than did those who never married, 61% vs. 45% in 2023. For both those who are divorced and those in domestic partnership, 45% were thriving, based on annual averages.

Gallup said that finding was true across racial and ethnic groups and for both men and women. Nor could educational attainment or age account for the association between being married and thriving, the research firm added.

The article continued by sharing several areas where marriage brings benefits to men, women, and children. Different studies have different percentages, but all of them state that marriage benefits families – adults as well as children. Wise parents will teach the importance of marriage by word and by example. Marriage strengths families, and strong families strengthen communities, states, and nations.