The surprising link between marriage and happiness
Unmarried adults in the US reach record levels of unhappiness
150-year happiness balance disrupted
From 1972 to 2018, the ratio of 'very happy' to 'not too happy' Americans remained stable. However, the pandemic caused a historic drop in happiness levels. University of Chicago economist Sam Peltzman notes that after a 25-point drop in 2020, only a 5-point recovery occurred. During the Great Recession, the maximum drop was 10 points with immediate recovery.
2High-income earners most affected
Contrary to expectations, white, high-income, college-educated, and conservative Americans were most impacted by the happiness decline. Peltzman states, 'Affordability concerns are typically a lower-income issue, yet the happiness crash hit high earners hardest.' He emphasizes that income inequality theories don't align with the data.
3Marriage creates happiness segregation
While married US adults maintain a net happiness score of +30 to +50, unmarried adults (45% of population) dropped to -15. Peltzman describes this as 'a happiness-segregated society by marriage.' Interestingly, despite marriage rates remaining steady at 55%/45 for 15 years, the psychological burden of being unmarried appears to have increased.
4Cohabiting couples show partial effect
Peltzman's 'Anatomy of Marital Happiness' study shows the marriage premium applies across all groups regardless of age, race, income, education or sexual orientation. Cohabiting couples experience about a 10-point smaller boost. However, the researcher cautions about causality, noting 'Happy people get married and married people become happy.'
5Happiness crisis among young adults
Institute for Family Studies data shows unhappiness among 18-35 year olds surged to 26% in 2021-2024, compared to 20% for middle-aged and 21% for 56+ groups. Director Brad Wilcox argues social media's negativity bias and declines in socialization, dating and marriage rates have greater impact than economic factors.
6Social bonds more critical than economics
Wilcox suggests that while inflation and housing costs concern young adults, the collapse of social connections in recent years has been more determinative. Peltzman supports this view, stating 'The social glue is coming apart.' Both emphasize that social ties have deteriorated more than economic positions.
7Belief in fair treatment collapsed
A striking finding shows Americans' belief that 'people treat me fairly' declined in perfect sync with happiness levels in 2020. Peltzman notes this parallel indicates erosion of social trust. The identical scale of both drops suggests interconnected societal fractures beyond economic concerns.
8Alarm bells for societal happiness
The research highlights how traditional social structures (particularly marriage) play a defining role in happiness. Post-pandemic data shows non-marital social connections prove inadequate. Experts warn that alongside economic policies, societal interventions to strengthen community bonds are urgently needed to address this happiness crisis.
Original article: Fortune | FORTUNE — Evlilik ve mutluluk arasındaki şaşırtıcı bağ