Marriage adds little to life satisfaction beyond cohabitation.
Living with a partner boosts life satisfaction, but marriage adds little extra, a new study finds.
Why it matters
- Partnerships, not marriage, drive life satisfaction gains.
- Reflects modern shifts toward cohabitation over marriage.
By the numbers
- Study included 1,103 participants from Germany and the UK.
- Life satisfaction peaked when moving in with a partner.
- Marriage showed no consistent additional boost.
The big picture
- Relationship quality matters more than marital status for well-being.
What they're saying
- Commenters note marriage offers legal/social benefits, not more happiness.
- Many agree relationship quality drives satisfaction, not marriage itself.
Caveats
- Correlational study; cannot prove causation.
- Data limited to Germany and UK.
What’s next
- Researchers suggest studying cultural differences and income effects.