Marital happiness correlates with whether couples lived together before marriage

the verdict

SUPPORTED

the evidence backs this

Recorded sources

4 sources for · 0 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that Marital happiness correlates with whether couples lived together before marriage?

Yes. Multiple empirical studies demonstrate that premarital cohabitation correlates with lower marital quality and increased risks of marital dissolution, supporting the claim that marital happiness and stability relate to whether couples lived together before marriage.

Verdict: SUPPORTED · 4 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 4 Aug 2026

The analysis

The claim states that marital happiness correlates with whether couples lived together before marriage. Retrieved papers including [1], [3], [5], and [6] consistently show empirical links between premarital cohabitation and measures of marital success, quality, or stability (such as divorce rates), supporting the existence of a correlation. There are no papers refuting the correlation entirely, though some note that selectivity plays a role. Thus, the verdict is SUPPORTED.

Evidence for · 4

Secularization, Union Formation Practices, and Marital Stability: Evidence from Italy

2012

Italian survey data indicates that premarital cohabitation correlates with higher rates of marital instability and divorce, though partly explained by selectivity.

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Impicciatore, R. & Billari, F. (2012). Secularization, Union Formation Practices, and Marital Stability: Evidence from Italy. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-012-9255-4

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More for · 3

Marital Quality and Divorce Decisions: How Do Premarital Cohabitation and Nonmarital Childbearing Matter?

2012

A study using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth finds that premarital cohabitors experience lower marital quality and higher rates of divorce.

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Tach, L. M. & Halpern‐Meekin, S. (2012). Marital Quality and Divorce Decisions: How Do Premarital Cohabitation and Nonmarital Childbearing Matter?. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00724.x

Premarital Cohabitation, Marital Dissolution, and Marital Quality in China

2023

Research using Chinese Family Panel Studies data shows negative associations between premarital cohabitation and marital satisfaction or quality.

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Mu, Z. (2023). Premarital Cohabitation, Marital Dissolution, and Marital Quality in China. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X231155663

The Effect of Premarital Cohabitation on Marital Stability over the Duration of Marriage

2005

Canadian survey data shows that premarital cohabitors have a greater risk of marital dissolution, especially within the first ten years of marriage.

Get citation

Budinski, R. A. & Trovato, F. (2005). The Effect of Premarital Cohabitation on Marital Stability over the Duration of Marriage. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.25336/p6b304

Related receipts

Is it true that couples who live together before marriage go on to have stronger marriages than couples who do not? PARTIAL LEAN related question, same topic
Is it true that income correlates with happiness only up to a certain threshold? SUPPORTED related question, same topic

What does the evidence say?

Receipt History

first checked04 Aug 2026

judged → SUPPORTED · 8404 Aug 2026

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