KEY POINTS:
Marriage is making a surprising comeback after years of decline, possibly because the strong economy is easing relationship strains.
The comeback is small so far: the proportion of two-parent families dropped from 90 per cent of all families with children in 1976, soon after the introduction of the domestic purposes benefit, to a low of 71 per cent in 2001.
This forum debate has now closed. Here is a selection of your views on the topic.
Martin
That is a good news, In personal opinion, I do not think the figure does go up much, I think the NZ economy keeps influencing by other strong economic groups worldwide, and the direction is getting more diverse. multi-culture is another issue effect what traditional NZers think. I predict we will have better result in the next year or two.
Prem Nath
Marriage, in my view, has nothing to do with the economy of a nation. It is a mature, loving relationship, preferably between a man and a woman, and it is all about love, understanding, give and take or compromise. Marriage is not a business partnership but a partnership for life.