Data Dive: Who says romance is dead?
As you stop off on your way home tonight for your dozen doghouse roses or your cheap box of chocolates, bear this in mind: 88 percent of Americans believe that love is an important reason to get married, according to the Pew Research Center. That's ahead of "making a lifelong commitment" (81 percent) and "financial stability" (28 percent).
On the other hand, the share of Americans who are married is at its lowest point since 1920, Pew said. Only half of Americans over age 18 are married. That's down from 72 percent in 1960, the research firm said. In fact, the median age of men when they marry for the first time is roughly 30 years old, and for women it's 27 years old.
And why not? They're not ready to settle down, according to 33 percent of never-married folks between 18 and 24. And 26 percent of that age group say they're not financially prepared, and 25 percent haven't found what they're looking for.
As for those who are getting married, 23 percent of them have been married before, up from 13 percent in 1960.
Happy Valentine's Day!