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Table 6. Marital status at age 24, age 34, age 44, and age 56 by educational attainment, sex, race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Table 6.  Marital status at age 24, age 34, age 44, and age 56 by educational attainment, sex, race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity								
								
		Characteristic									Percent of individuals							
						 Age 24 (in 1980-1989)		Age 34 (in 1990-1998) (3)	  Age 44 (in 2000-2009)		  Age 56 (in 2012-2021)
	
					       Not Married     Married	      Not Married      Married		Not Married	Married		Not Married	Married
								
Total ...................................	56.6		43.4		32.0		68.0		29.6		70.4		34.7		65.3
  Less than a high school diploma........	51.1		48.9		40.8		59.2		45.2		54.8		49.9		50.1
  High school graduates, no college (1)..  	50.3		49.7		33.8		66.2		32.6		67.4		38.2		61.8
  Some college or associate degree.......	54.4		45.6		33.3		66.7		30.6		69.4		36.3		63.7
  Bachelor's degree and higher (2).......   	68.5		31.5		26.2		73.8		21.3		78.7		24.9		75.1
								
Men ..................................... 	62.8		37.2		33.3		66.7		29.6		70.4		33.1		66.9
  Less than a high school diploma........ 	55.2		44.8		42.5		57.5		44.1		55.9		50.3		49.7
  High school graduates, no college (1).. 	58.0		42.0		37.4		62.6		34.2		65.8		38.2		61.8
  Some college or associate degree....... 	61.2		38.8		33.5		66.5		30.3		69.7		34.2		65.8
  Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 	73.4		26.6		24.3		75.7		18.9		81.1		20.1		80.0
 									
Women ................................... 	50.1		49.9		30.7		69.3		29.6		70.4		36.4		63.6
  Less than a high school diploma ....... 	45.1		54.9		38.3		61.7		46.8		53.2		49.3		50.7
  High school graduates, no college (1).. 	41.6		58.4		29.7		70.3		30.8		69.2		38.1		61.9
  Some college or associate degree ...... 	48.6		51.4		33.2		66.8		30.9		69.1		38.1		61.9
  Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 	63.6		36.4		28.1		71.9		23.7		76.3		29.9		70.1
									
White non-Hispanic ...................... 	54.2		45.8		28.0		72.0		25.7		74.3		30.4		69.6
  Less than a high school diploma ....... 	43.4		56.6		33.9		66.1		41.1		58.9		44.3		55.7
  High school graduates, no college (1)..  	46.0		54.0		29.1		70.9		27.9		72.1		33.6		66.4
  Some college or associate degree ......	51.8		48.2		29.2		70.8		26.3		73.7		31.7		68.3
  Bachelor's degree and higher (2).......  	67.8		32.2		24.9		75.1		20.0		80.0		23.3		76.7
								
Black non-Hispanic ...................... 	71.3		28.7		54.0		46.0		49.9		50.1		54.7		45.3
  Less than a high school diploma ....... 	80.8		19.2		70.3		29.7		67.2		32.8		71.8		28.2
  High school graduates, no college (1)..  	71.7		28.3		56.2		43.8		53.0		47.0		56.8		43.2
  Some college or associate degree ......	65.2		34.8		53.2		46.8		48.7		51.3		54.5		45.5
  Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 	75.5		24.5		41.0		59.0		34.4		65.6		40.5		59.5
								
Hispanic or Latino ...................... 	53.8		46.2		33.1		66.9		34.6		65.4		42.5		57.5
  Less than a high school diploma........ 	45.5		54.5		33.9		66.1		34.2		65.8		45.7		54.3
  High school graduates, no college (1).. 	49.4		50.6		36.0		64.0		39.0		61.0		45.8		54.2
  Some college or associate degree ...... 	57.1		42.9		32.1		67.9		35.2		64.8		42.7		57.3
  Bachelor's degree and higher (2)....... 	68.5		31.5		26.1		73.9		21.4		78.6		29.1		70.9
								
  (1) Includes individuals with a high school diploma or equivalent.								
  (2) Includes individuals with bachelor's, master's, professional, or doctoral degrees.								
  (3) Interviews were not conducted in 1999.								
Note: The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 consists of men and women who were born in the years 1957-64 and were ages 14 to 22 when first 
interviewed in 1979.  These individuals were ages 55 to 64 in 2020-21.  Educational attainment is determined as of the 2020-21 survey.  Marital 
status is determined for the interview date in which the respondent first turned age 24, age 34, age 44, or age 56.  If not interviewed at that 
age, then marital status is determined for the prior age.  Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity groups are mutually exclusive but not exhaustive.  
Other race groups, which are included in the overall totals, are not shown separately because their representation in the survey sample is not 
sufficiently large to provide statistically reliable estimates.  								



Last Modified Date: August 22, 2023