Say 'I do' in your mid 20s for best marriage

Couples who wed in their mid 20s have the best chance of living happily together until death do them part, a new survey on American marriage found Thursday.
 
The results contradict conventional wisdom that partners have the best chance for a healthy marriage if they wait until their 30s, researchers said in Washington.

Couples who tied the knot between the ages of 23 and 27 stood the best chance of success, according to a statistical index on the quality of marriage constructed on data collected by the University of Texas for the National Fatherhood Initiative.

"Beyond a certain age, later marriage does not improve the success of the marriage," said Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, of the National Marriage Project, commenting on the survey results.

Marriage before the age of 20 has long been regarded at high risk of divorce, but the survey represents the first statistical evidence that the optimal age for marriage may lie in the 20s.

The average of age of first marriages in the United States has slowly been rising, to 27 for men and 26 for women, compared to 23 and 21 in 1970, she said.

University of Texas sociology professor Norval Glenn who conducted the research said that 98 percent of those questioned were married, had been married or wanted to marry, suggesting that predictions of the institution's demise were exaggerated.

"We are a very marrying country," he said.

The survey also found that the top three reasons for divorce in the United States were lack of commitment, too much arguing and infidelity.

Conducted among 1,503 Americans aged 18 and older between late 2003 and early 2004, the survey asked questions about attitude and aspirations towards marriage.

The National Fatherhood Initiative is a non-profit advocacy group, and was founded in 1994 to address the problem of absent fathers in society.

--AFP