New Data Shows That Young Israelis Are In No Hurry To Get Married
According to data released by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, Israeli men and women in their mid to late twenties are not in a rush to get married. Since 1970, the average age for an Israeli woman to get married has risen by roughly 3.3 years to 25 years of age; while for men, the jump has been around 2.5 years, to 27.6 years of age, up from 25.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics in 2014, roughly 65% of Jewish Israeli men aged 25 to 29 years old were single, compared to 28% in 1970. While 13% of Jewish Israeli women in that same age group were also unmarried in 1970, by 2014, that figure has jumped to around 50%.
Israel has an overall marriage rate of roughly 6.2 per 1,000 people, one of the highest among members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The CBS has also claimed that in 2014 approximately 95% of all Israeli couples were married. The remaining 88,000 pairs were described as “cohabiting”, which is a “low rate” compared to countries such as Italy at 7%, or Norway at 27%.
Regarding divorce, Israeli divorce rates fell in 2017, with roughly 10,500 couples getting a divorce last year. While Tel Aviv, in particular, experiencing a 7% drop in divorce with only 649 couples getting a divorce.
Israel is not alone with the declining divorce rates, with data released in 2016 showing 3 years of falling divorce rates in the United States. While in the United Kingdom, there has been an increased demand for London wedding photographers. The divorce rate fell to a 40-year low, and this may have to do with a younger generation. While millennials are marrying more slowly, they are also getting divorcing less often. Women’s rights have also been attributed to some of these changes, with women marrying not just for money but more for true love, compatibility, and romance. Younger people, in general, are spending more time dating. Wages for women have also been rising, allowing marriage to be a choice for women rather than a necessity. Couples in today’s younger generations also communicate more openly with one another, sharing their values, beliefs, concerns, and issues; which in turn leads to a stronger, healthier relationship, and ultimately, a stronger marriage. Younger couples are also spending less money on their weddings compared to previous generations and are preferring more classic and vintage ceremonies. Statistics show that couples who spend more money on their wedding are statistically more likely to get a divorce.
To maintain a happy, loving, and enjoyable relationship, couples must learn to continually adapt to one other, and make personal sacrifices for their partner, and their children. The demands of their marriage change dramatically over the years as the two partners change physically, psychologically, and emotionally, especially when there are new additions to the family unit. Since 2010, couples and marriage counseling has been increasing, suggesting couples have become more inclined to work through their relationship issues and problems and try to make their marriage work out.
It is great to see that there is still hope for successful marriages in the complexity of today’s day and age. Yes, people are delaying marriage and are getting married later in life, but at least the divorce rates have been falling slightly too.