Final answer:
Couples choose to cohabitate to spend more time together, save money, or have a 'trial run' for marriage. Cohabitation often results in marriage within a few years, but it is also contributing to the trend of marrying at an older age as societal attitudes towards marriage change.
Step-by-step explanation:
Many couples are choosing to live together before marriage, a practice known as cohabitation. This decision often stems from the desire to spend more time together or to save on living expenses. Cohabitation can also be a 'trial run' for marriage, with couples using this time to see if they are compatible for a long-term commitment.
Today, a significant portion of men and women live together before their first marriage, which sometimes leads to marriage within a few years of cohabitating. Cohabitation's effect on marriage often includes delaying the age at which people get married, as they may prioritize education or career over settling down immediately into marriage.
Although cohabitation has often been seen as a step toward marriage, some individuals consider marriage to be an obsolete institution, leading to a change in traditional patterns of marital commitment. The rise of cohabitation corresponds with societal shifts and the decreasing stigma surrounding living together without marriage.