Fact check: How has the 50th anniversary marriage rate changed over the past few decades in the US?

1. Summary of the results

The data on 50th anniversary marriage rates in the US presents a complex picture with some conflicting findings. According to the most recent 2022 American Community Survey data, only 7.7% of all current marriages have reached the 50-year milestone ^[1]. Among older adults specifically (aged 70 and older), 25.4% were in marriages of 50 or more years in 2022 ^[1].

However, this represents a significant decline from 2014, when slightly more than half (52%) of all currently married older adults were married for 50 years or more ^[1]. Earlier data from 2009 showed that 6% of currently married couples had passed their golden anniversary, which was about 1-2 percentage points higher than in 1996 ^[2]. Additional 2018 data indicates that only 8% of currently married individuals had made it to their golden anniversary ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks crucial context about the dramatic decline in overall marriage rates, which significantly impacts the interpretation of 50th anniversary statistics. The U.S. marriage rate has plummeted from 76.5% in 1970 to just over 31% today - a nearly 60% decline over the past 50 years ^[4]. This decline has been particularly pronounced among Hispanic and Black women ^[4].

The data also reveals socioeconomic disparities in marriage patterns, with those of lower socioeconomic status experiencing especially steep declines in marriage rates ^[5]. Meanwhile, there has been a corresponding rise in cohabitation and single-parent households ^[5], representing new family forms that don't fit traditional marriage metrics.

An important alternative perspective is that divorce rates actually decline significantly after the 10-year mark, with substantial decreases by the 30th and 40th anniversaries, suggesting that marriages that survive the early years have increasingly better odds of lasting ^[6].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself doesn't contain misinformation, but it fails to acknowledge the fundamental shift in American family structures over the past decades. Focusing solely on 50th anniversary rates without considering the broader context of declining marriage rates overall could lead to misleading conclusions about relationship stability and family formation patterns.

The question also doesn't account for demographic changes - as fewer people marry overall, the pool of couples who could potentially reach 50-year anniversaries shrinks dramatically. This makes direct comparisons across decades potentially misleading without adjusting for the changing baseline of married couples in the population.