New Survey Says Fewer In U.S. Have Said 'I Do'

A new report shows that the number of married people is at an all time low in the United States. Slightly more than a half of all adults are married. NPR's Elizabeth Shogren has more:

The study combines the results of a nationwide survey by Pew Research Center and Time magazine and an analysis of data from the U.S. Census. It shows marriage has declined in all economic groups, but especially among people with the lowest incomes. A little less than half of all adults with only a high school diploma or less were married in 2008 compared to nearly two-thirds of college graduates.

Young people are especially unlikely to be married. In 1960, two-thirds of 20-somethings had tied the knot. In 2008, only slightly more than a quarter had.

Over the same time, the share of children born to unmarried mothers has spiked from only 5 percent to 41 percent. As marriage declines, Americans are much more likely to live together as unmarried partners.

The study also found that four in 10 Americans say marriage is becoming obsolete. Paul Taylor of Pew told CBS news it's an important "social change."