Put a Ring on It!

“If he likes it, then he should put a ring on it.” Those words, delivered with Pop Princess authority by Beyoncé, are now backed by mountains of social science, not just catchy hooks. As we celebrate National Marriage Week (Feb. 7–14), we should reflect not only on the romantic symbolism of marriage but on what decades of research show: Marriage measurably benefits individuals, families, and society.

Love may be subjective, but the data isn’t.

For adults, marriage is linked to significantly higher levels of overall well-being. One study says 61% of married adults ages 25 to 50 report they are “thriving,” compared to 45% of never-married adults, a gap that has persisted across more than a decade of data. Longitudinal research further shows that married individuals experience lower levels of depression and loneliness, and higher levels of meaning and purpose in life, even after accounting for income, education, and prior happiness.

These benefits are not fleeting or sentimental; they endure throughout life. Marriage is also associated with substantial advantages in physical health. Studies following adults over 25 years find that married people experience approximately 30% lower rates of smoking, heart disease, stroke, and all-cause mortality than their unmarried peers. In short, marriage appears to promote healthier behaviors and longer lives.

The benefits of marriage extend beyond spouses themselves, and are especially pronounced for children. Children raised in intact married families are more than twice as likely to graduate from college as those raised in single-parent households. These educational advantages translate into economic gains later in life: Millennials who grew up in married families are 42% likely to be affluent in their mid-30s, compared to just 24% of those from non-intact families, nearly doubling their odds of economic success.

Even the timing of marriage appears to matter. Contrary to popular narratives suggesting that marriage should be postponed indefinitely, research shows that couples who marry earlier and grow together experience higher levels of marital stability and shared economic flourishing over time. Marriage, when entered thoughtfully and supported culturally, can function as a stabilizing force rather than a constraint.

The strength of marriage does not exist in a vacuum; it is shaped by the policies and cultural signals that surround it. Public policy can either reinforce marriage as a viable, attainable institution, or they can undermine it. Policies that reduce financial penalties for marriage, expand access to affordable housing, and avoid discouraging family formation through benefit cliffs help create an environment where stable marriages can flourish. Conversely, when social and economic systems make marriage riskier or more costly for young adults, marriage rates decline — with predictable downstream effects on well-being, child outcomes, and social cohesion. If marriage delivers broad public benefits, then it deserves serious consideration in public policy design, not as a private luxury, but as a public good.

Despite this growing body of evidence, cultural confidence in marriage has weakened. Fewer Americans today view marriage as essential to strong families, a shift that carries serious implications for public health, economic mobility, and child well-being. The decline of marriage is not merely a personal preference trend; it is a social change with measurable consequences.

Marriage is not a cure-all, nor a guarantee of happiness. But the evidence is overwhelming: stable, committed marriage remains one of the most reliable predictors of flourishing adults, resilient families, and healthier communities.

This National Marriage Week, the data make the case clearly: Putting a ring on it isn’t just romantic, it’s rational.