Living Together Before or After Marriage? Forming Lasting Relationships

Despite what your grandma might say, a recent study shows that marital success could be based on cohabitating with your partner before a trip down the isle.

Researchers from Ohio State University note, in fact, that couples who cohabitate before marriage are more likely to stay together for eight years or longer. Though several previous studies have shown the opposite about living together before marriage, the latest findings reveal that living together before marriage could be beneficial for a number of reasons.

"Cohabiters are very common," co-author Audrey Light, professor of economics at The Ohio State University said, via a press release. "There are so many couples that start out cohabiting, and enough of their relationships last that they end up making a significant contribution to the total number of long-term relationships."

The study looked at data from 2,761 women who were born between 1960 and 1964, all of whom participated in the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Women involved were interviewed every one or two years beginning in 1979 through 2008.

Findings showed that couples who started living together before marriage typically ended up marrying at some point in their relationship, at least eight years into cohabitation. In fact, results revealed that cohabitation made it 36 percent more likely for couples to enjoy lasting relationships, particularly for women.

Further to the point, the research showed that women living with their partner between the ages of 24 to 28 were 52 percent more likely to have a long-term relationship. For those in their early to mid-30s, statistics showed that women were 78 percent more likely to have a long lasting relationship with their cohabitant.

However, at the end of their research, study authors note that these findings should not be used as advice for those who are uncertain about whether to cohabit or marry.

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Population Research and Policy Review.