Men, Not Ambitious Women, Block Marriage

The decline in early marriage is driven more by less‑educated men's economic and social deficits than by ambitious young women opting out; telling young women to marry earlier therefore misses the main constraint. Fixing male employment prospects, socialization, and marriageability would be a more direct lever for boosting family formation than exhorting women to prioritize marriage. — Recasting the marriage debate around men's socioeconomic position shifts policy focus from moralizing women's choices to labor, education, and male social support interventions.