Final answer:
Cohabitation before marriage is seen as a way to test a relationship, save costs, and spend more time together. However, it does not necessarily guarantee a better marriage, and couples not cohabiting before marriage may have higher chances of long-term marital success. Patterns show a trend toward older ages for first-time marriages, reflecting changing social priorities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Some couples choose to cohabitate before marriage to spend more time together, reduce living costs, and experience a "trial run" for their relationship. However, research suggests that cohabitation does not have a significant impact on establishing a better marriage. In fact, those who do not live together before marriage have shown slightly higher rates of sustaining their marriage beyond ten years.
The choice of cohabitation has also been linked to changes in marriage patterns. For example, it has been associated with an increase in the median age of first-time marriages—twenty-six for women and twenty-eight for men. This delay is also attributed to individuals prioritizing education and career advancement over immediate marriage.
Despite these observations, a significant portion of cohabitating couples do eventually marry. It's noteworthy that 66 percent of married couples who cohabited but were not engaged viewed cohabitation as a step toward marriage. This illustrates the diverse outlooks on cohabitation, which can be influenced by personal, cultural, or societal factors.