Final answer:
The claim that the percentage of never-married people has reached 50% is false. Census data and surveys show shifting trends, including a rise in never-married individuals and cohabitation, as well as a decline in the number of households headed by married couples.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the percentage of people who have never been married has increased from about 22% to 50% in the past 30 years is false. The U.S. Census data from 2011 shows that for individuals in the twenty-five to twenty-nine age bracket, the percentage of never-married women was 62% and men were 48%, up from 11% and 19% in 1970, respectively. However, this does not imply that the overall percentage of never-married individuals is at 50%. Instead, there is a noteworthy increase in the number of never-married individuals and in cohabitating couples. The percentage of heterosexual women ages fifteen to forty-four who were not married to their partner when they first cohabitated increased to 48% between 2006 and 2010, from 43% in 2002 and 34% in 1995. Meanwhile, the number of unmarried couples grew from fewer than one million in the 1970s to 8.1 million in 2011.
Moreover, attitudes towards marriage are changing; a Pew Research Center survey in 2010 showed that 39% of respondents believed marriage is becoming obsolete. These patterns are indicative of shifting societal norms around marriage and cohabitation. Additionally, the percentage of households headed by married couples decreased from 66% in 1960 to 45% by 2010, which has significant implications for family structures and societal expectations.
In sum, various factors, including societal acceptance of single parenting and cohabitation, delayed marriages due to education and career priorities, as well as changing divorce rates and marriage patterns, all contribute to evolving trends in marital status.