Love Is The Third Biggest Reason Couples Get Married — But These 2 Things Are More Important, According To A Survey
Love isn't always enough for some couples to tie the knot.
Shchus | Shutterstock Most people assume that love is the main reason why a couple would get married and plan to spend the rest of their lives together. However, while love is certainly part of the conversation, it's not actually the top reason couples decide to tie the knot.
A survey commissioned by Forbes Advisor polled 1,000 Americans who are divorced or in the process of divorcing to discover what they had in common. They also looked at the reasons why people marry to gain a better understanding of why they end up divorcing.
The survey found that love is the third biggest reason couples get married, but 2 things are more important.
Financial security was the most common motivating factor for marriage, with 42% of respondents marrying for security. The foundation of marriage, especially for women, has historically been tied to stability and financial security, so this discovery is not that shocking.
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The truth is that succeeding in America's capitalistic society is a whole lot easier if you're not single. Married people are given a plethora of legal benefits that simply don't apply to those who are unmarried, including tax breaks, immigration rights, and the ability to adopt children jointly.
Given today's economy — the rising cost of living combined with inflation, tariffs, and stagnant wages — many individuals view marriage as their ticket to financial freedom. But, finances can also be quite a tricky road to navigate as a married couple, too. According to a SunTrust Bank survey conducted by Harris Poll and reported on by CNBC Select, 35% of people blame finances for the stress they experience in their relationships.
Researchers found that women are more likely than men to get married for financial reasons. Forty-four percent of women reported financial reasons as what led to their union. Forbes Advisor noted that with a gender pay gap resulting in women being paid 22.2% less than men on average in 2022, it’s unsurprising that more women look to marriage to help provide support.
Following close behind financial reasons was companionship.
Thirty-nine percent of respondents indicated a desire for a companion led them to get married. This was especially popular amongst men, with 42% citing it as their motivation. A desire to start a family was the second most common factor for men.
Just as it's not surprising that women marry for financial reasons in a larger majority than men, it's also not surprising that men are lacking companionship and turn to marriage to fill that gap in their lives. Men are the ones leading the loneliness epidemic, after all.
Only 48% of men reported feeling satisfied with friendships, according to 2021 data from the Survey Center on American Life. One in 5 men said they had gotten emotional support from a friend in the past week, compared to 4 in 10 women.
Women excel in finding love and companionship through the friendships they have with other women in their lives. They simply don't need to rely on men to receive comfort and care. Male friendships, on the other hand, tend to be more surface-level, thanks to the patriarchy and the outdated view that men should never be vulnerable with each other. They are less likely to turn to their friends for emotional support.
Still, many people cited love as their main reason for marriage.
That's not to say that love has no place in a marriage. While finances, companionship, and the desire for a family are valid reasons to tie the knot, love is, of course, at the top of many people's list of reasons for getting married. It's why they wax poetic in their wedding vows, promising to love and cherish each other for eternity.
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The Forbes Advisor survey found that 39% of women said love was their main reason for getting married, making it the second most common reason among women. With men and women combined, 36% cited love as their biggest motivating factor.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
