The missing men of the American marriage market

The missing men of the American marriage market

A new study suggests the growing educational and economic divide between men and women is reshaping marriage and family life in America — leaving many women with a shrinking pool of economically stable partners.

Cultural Shifts Drive Decline in U.S. Marriage Rates, Heritage Report Says

Caroline Ruda An empty aisle in church decorated for a wedding. Cultural shifts are driving a decline in U.S. marriage rates, a Heritage Foundation report released May 19, 2026, said. Declining wages among working-class men are not the main driver of marriage decline in America, the report said.

The Working-Class Marriage Decline: How Higher Expectations and Shifting Norms, Not Wages, Are the Main Cause

Marriage rates in the United States have declined substantially, particularly among non-college-educated Americans and among those in moderate- and lower-income brackets.[REF] One of the common explanations is that wages have declined among working-class men and thus fewer men are able to support families.But the data tell a different story. While inflation-adjusted earnings did decline among working-class and lower-income men during the 1970s a…