Most Hungarians consider marriage to be the most ideal form of relationship
The majority of Hungarians imagine their life in a relationship, with seven out of ten consider marriage to be the most ideal way of life. According to a representative survey conducted by the Mária Kopp Institute for Demography and Families (KINCS) in January, Hungarians are mainly pro-marriage, with young people having a more favourable view on marriage than the average.
In a survey, conducted between 9-25 January 2025, KINCS examined how common marriage is at certain ages according to people. The results show that more women than men think that women are married at younger ages, but around the age of 45 the gender gap evens out: three quarters of Hungarians think that both men and women are married at this age.
Compared to older generations, a higher proportion of young people under 30 think that there is a higher proportion of married people in each age group, i.e. the perception of marriage among young people is more favourable than average.
The survey also asked which type of relationship is considered the most ideal for a woman and a man in their 20s, 30s and 40s. The vast majority of Hungarians think that a stable relationship (marriage or civil partnership) is the most suitable, while being a single (being alone) is the least desirable lifestyle, especially as people get older.
According to the 2022 census, 23% of Hungarian women in their twenties and 13% of Hungarian men in their twenties are married, suggesting that a higher proportion of young people in this age group are married than many Hungarians think.
For those in their thirties, marriage rates are broadly similar: 53% of women in their thirties and 44% of men think that marriage is the most ideal form of relationship, which is mainly in line with the proportion of people in this age group who are actually married: 52% of women and 41% of men are married.
The biggest difference between what is considered ideal and the actual relationship status is seen among those in their 40s: eight out of ten Hungarians in this age group think that the most ideal situation for both women and men would be to be married, compared to only one in two of those in their 40s who are married (54% of women and 50% of men), according to the latest census.
The survey shows that the vast majority of Hungarians would like to live in a relationship, including the more stable forms of marriage or cohabitation, but - especially as people get older - the ideal relationship situation is not always the same as the actual family situation.
Hungarians think that marriage is the best form of relationship, with 70% of respondents saying so, while 19% think that cohabitation is the best form, and 7% think that partnership is the best form.
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