हिंदी में पढ़ें : विवाह समाप्त नहीं हो रहा है: विवाह के बारे में बदलती सोच के पीछे चल रही शांत क्रांति

“How old are you now?”

“You still haven’t gotten married?”

“Didn’t you find anyone you liked?”

…?

Perhaps, after crossing the age of 28, 30, or 35, you too have heard one of these questions.

Someone may have asked jokingly.

Someone out of concern.

And someone perhaps asked as if the most important task of life was still incomplete.

But there is one question that is rarely discussed—

Should every person get married simply because society thinks it is time for them to get married?

This is where the story changes.

Today, people in many parts of the world are getting married later than they did in the past. In the United States, too, young people are reaching important milestones related to marriage and family later than previous generations. According to Pew Research Center, in 2023, 29% of Americans aged 25–29 were married, compared with 50% in 1993. Among those aged 30–34, the share also fell from 63% in 1993 to 51% in 2023.

But does this mean that people have rejected marriage?

Not necessarily.

In a 2025 Pew Research Center survey of U.S. non-LGBTQ adults ages 18–49 who had never been married, 63% said they would like to get married someday. Meanwhile, 12% said they did not want to get married, while 25% were unsure.

So, what is the real story?

Perhaps people have not moved away from love.

Perhaps they have not moved away from family either.

Perhaps they have simply started saying—

“I will not enter a lifelong relationship simply because I have reached a certain age.”

Today, many people want to establish their careers first.

Some want to become financially stable.

Some are waiting to find the right partner.

Some become more cautious because of experiences from previous relationships.

And some people also accept that they can live a fulfilling life without marriage.

Therefore, we need to understand one important distinction—

Getting married later and rejecting marriage are not the same thing.

And perhaps that is the most interesting part of this entire story.

Because the question should not be—

“Why are people not getting married?”

Perhaps the better question is—

“Why are people thinking so much before getting married now?”

Is it fear?

Is it selfishness?

Is it a changing social structure?

Or perhaps…

Is it an attempt to choose a life partner with greater awareness than before?

In this article, we will not try to prove one side right.

We will not say that everyone should get married.

Nor will we say that marriage is unnecessary.

We will try to understand changing attitudes toward marriage in different societies, including India and the United States, along with marriage age, family, independence, economic circumstances, and the psychology of relationships.

We will also explore how the thinking of women and men has changed, and how different philosophical perspectives—including those of Buddha, Osho, and the Bhagavad Gita—look at marriage.

Because perhaps…

Marriage isn’t dying.

People are simply asking better questions before saying yes.

And perhaps this is the quietest…

but deepest revolution in modern society.

But what is the real reason behind this changing mindset? Is it simply a personal decision, or is it part of a deeper maze of changing society, economics, and priorities around us?

We will uncover the real layers of this change in the next part of the series…

Author’s Note

This article does not attempt to take a position for or against marriage. It is an effort to understand changing social attitudes by bringing together different perspectives, available research, and real-life social circumstances. Our aim is to give readers an opportunity to think for themselves.

What’s Your Take?

Do you think getting married later is a sign of changing mindsets or changing priorities? Are people today choosing marriage with more thought and awareness than before? Share your views in the comments.

Disclaimer

This article does not advise anyone to marry or not to marry. The views and analysis presented here are intended only to help understand social changes, available research, and different perspectives. The data and statistics mentioned in the article are based on relevant sources and may change over time. Personal decisions related to marriage depend on individual circumstances, priorities, and mutual understanding.

Sources

The statistics presented in this article are based on relevant research and surveys published by the Pew Research Center. Original sources have been referenced wherever necessary.