Shocking Survey: Teenage Girls Now Less Likely to Want Marriage Than Teenage Boys
A recent Pew Research survey reveals that contemporary 12th-grade girls in the United States are now less likely than boys of the same age to want to get married someday.While about 74% of boys in 2023 still express a desire to marry-only slightly down from 76% in 1993-the percentage of girls wanting marriage has dropped sharply from 83% in 1993 to just 61% in 2023. This notable decline among girls contrasts with relatively stable attitudes among boys over the past 30 years. Experts like Brad Wilcox from the Institute for Family Studies describe this trend as “disastrous,” highlighting an “anti-nuptial turn” among young women and girls. The topic has sparked discussion on social media and among religious figures, with some criticizing the influence of feminism and others calling for religious communities to address the shift in attitudes towards marriage among young women.
The typical 12th-grade girl is now less likely to want to be married one day than the typical boy of the same age.
According to a new survey from Pew Research released on Friday, American high schoolers are “less likely now than in the past to say they want to get married someday.”
That sorrowful trend is driven almost entirely by girls.
In 1993, 76 percent of boys said they are “most likely to choose to get married in the long run.”
That number fell slightly to 74 percent by 2023.
In 1993, girls were more likely to “choose to get married in the long run” than boys, with 83 percent answering the question affirmatively.
Only 61 percent say the same in 2023, meaning that boys are noticeably more favorable toward the prospect of marriage than girls.
“The of boys saying this is virtually unchanged over the 30-year period. But the among girls dropped by 22 percentage points,” Pew Research summarized.
“There are no statistically significant gender gaps on the other questions.”
Brad Wilcox, a fellow at the Institution for Family Studies, called the trend “disastrous” and lamented the “anti-nuptial turn among young women” and girls.
Anti-nuptial turn among young women & adolescent girls is disastrous.
New @pewresearch:
HS girls’ interest in marriage drops 20+ percentage pts in last 30 years.👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/qnvOXWvThs
— Brad Wilcox (@BradWilcoxIFS) November 15, 2025
Many social media commenters joined in the lament, noting that the negative effects of feminism on Western civilization are immense.
“Feminist mind virus growing stronger and stronger,” one user said.
“Feminism seems to be going well for society,” another added.
David Schrock, a pastor at Occoquan Bible Church in Virginia, contended that churches and fellow pastors should confront the phenomenon.
“Nothing to see here. The generational disinterest in marriage for young women is perfectly well and good,” he wrote.
Nothing to see here. The generational disinterest in marriage for young women is perfectly well and good.
For how dare pastors consider the radicalization of young women.
Right @davemitz @tomascol @GundenGraham? https://t.co/TASf9sJMR5
— David Schrock🌲 (@DavidSchrock) November 15, 2025
“For how dare pastors consider the radicalization of young women,” he asked rhetorically.
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