Marriage is on the wane all over Europe, as couples prefer “new conjugal practices” such as living together, says a French study. But although Europeans overall are marrying less, people in some countries are marrying a lot less than in others, as national differences across the continent remain marked, the study by France’s National Institute of Demographic Studies (INED) found. The survey of 20 European countries found three main reasons for the trend: People tend to form stable, long-term relationships later in life; they are more inclined to move in together without getting married; and they are less bothered about cementing their union in marriage later on.
Moreover, the study shows that couples in Europe break up more readily than they used to. Despite experiencing relationships and cohabitation before marriage, couples are apparently no better equipped to get along once they do tie the knot. In general, the report says, a higher cohabitation rate is matched by a higher divorce rate.
| And there's no relation at all in that, no whatsoever, nope, nope. |
| Because they can't get a job. |
And while the proportion of cohabitations that ultimately lead to marriage has fallen dramatically in Scandinavia - less than a tenth of Swedish couples tie the knot after living together for two years - it has risen in Spain and Italy, showing that “these countries remain attached to the institution of marriage,” according to Prioux. The duration of relationships is on the decline all over Europe, but their average length still varies markedly from country to country, with the north-south divide again very much in evidence.
Of course, no mention of any correlation with government pestering of married couples, everything from "marriage taxes", to the endless imposition of extra responsibilities when children are made, making them less desireable as well.