Gen-Z Isn’t Interested In Marriage Like Millennials Were For 4 Odd Reasons
Levi Anton | Unsplash For decades, marriage was treated like a given. But unlike previous generations, Gen-Z isn't interested in marriage, and they have a few odd reasons why.
Millennials pushed the timeline back, but most of them still saw marriage as the goal. A growing number of young adults are questioning whether they want it at all, and their reasons have less to do with rebellion and more to do with watching what happened to the generations before them.
It's important to remember that Gen-Z still wants connection and is interested in finding someone who gets them, but the traditional path doesn't hold the same weight it used to. Instead of following the script, they're rewriting it, and that shift is showing up in ways that catch older generations completely off guard.
Gen-Z isn’t interested in marriage like Millennials were for 4 odd reasons:
1. It just isn't the default anymore
Fewer than half of U.S. households are headed by married couples. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, that number sat at just 47.1% in 2024. The median age of first marriage has also climbed to 30.8 for men and 28.4 for women. And a Pew Research Center survey found that only 67% of high school seniors in 2023 said they were likely to get married someday.
A 2024 Her Campus Media report found that 93% of Gen-Zers said they were still interested in marriage, and more than 40% were already in serious relationships. They just don't see marriage as a box to check on the way to adulthood. They see it as a choice they want to make on their own terms, when they're actually ready, and only if it adds something real to their lives.
2. Getting married no longer defines adulthood
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There was a time when getting married was considered one of the obvious signs that you'd officially grown up. But for Gen-Z, adulthood looks completely different.
A U.S. Census Bureau report found that the most common pathway to adulthood has shifted from the traditional (marriage, kids, a job, and your own place) to simply being employed and living independently. For this generation, growing up means financial independence, self-awareness, and figuring out who you are on your own terms.
3. Being single doesn't hurt their self-esteem
There's a long-standing assumption that being single, especially when everyone around you is pairing off, has to take a toll on how you feel about yourself. But Gen-Z doesn't seem to feel that way at all.
A 2022 study found that compared to every other generation, Gen-Z reports the highest satisfaction with being single and the highest overall outlook on life. This is likely because there's far less stigma around being single than there used to be.
4. Marriage isn't always good for your health
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Another myth about marriage is that people who have entered into marriage become healthier. There is a certain logic to this, as the husband and wife receive each other’s support and ensure that the partner resolves health issues on time. However, it's not marriage itself that protects your health, but the quality of the relationship.
Researchers at Penn State tracked unhappy marriages over 12 years and found that they reported lower self-esteem, worse overall health, and less overall happiness than people who had gotten divorced and stayed single. The people who left were actually doing better than the people who stayed.
Unwritten is a website that focuses on self-care, and health and wellness topics.
