According to recent data, the number of marriages in the United States has returned to pre-pandemic levels, reaching nearly 2.1 million in 2022.

The year-on-year growth is 4%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the information on Friday, but has not yet released marriage statistics for last year.

During the year 2020, which marked the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 1.7 million weddings in the United States. This was the lowest number reported since 1963. The pandemic caused upheaval for many couples planning to get married, as local authorities implemented stay-at-home orders and prohibited large gatherings in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.

In 2021, the rate of marriages increased, although it did not reach the level seen before the pandemic. It saw another increase in 2022 and slightly exceeded the number of marriages in 2019.

New York, Washington D.C., and Hawaii experienced the most significant growth in the number of marriages between 2021 and 2022. Interestingly, Nevada, where Las Vegas’ renowned wedding chapels are located, still had the highest marriage rate in the country, although it slightly decreased from 2021.

In 2022, the CDC reported that the amount and percentage of divorces in the United States had decreased slightly compared to previous years, following a consistent decline.

Marriages are not as prevalent in the U.S. as they used to be.

Based on data from 1900, the peak of wedding rates was in 1946 at 16.4 per 1,000 individuals. The rate remained above 10 in the early 1980s before gradually decreasing over the next few decades. By 2022, the marriage rate had dropped to 6.2 per 1,000 people.

___

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group provides support to the Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP is solely responsible for all content.