---
title: "Millennials Value Parenthood More Than Marriage"
description: "Far more Millennials say it is very important to be a good parent than say the same about having a successful marriage."
date: "2011-04-19"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2011/04/19/millennials-value-parenthood-more-than-marriage/"
---

# Millennials Value Parenthood More Than Marriage

While parenthood and marriage have long been linked, America’s youngest generation places far more value on the former than the latter. A 52%-majority of Millennials (adults ages 18 to 29) say being a good parent is one of the most important things in their life. Just 30% say the same about having a successful marriage, meaning there is a 22-percentage-point gap in the way Millennials value parenthood over marriage. When this same question was posed to 18- to 29-year-olds in 1997, the gap was just seven percentage points. At the time, 42% of members of that generation — known as Gen X — said being a good parent is one of the most important things in life while 35% said the same about having a successful marriage. Pew Research surveys also find that Millennials are less likely than adults ages 30 and older to say that a child needs a home with both a father and mother to grow up happily and that single parenthood and unmarried couple parenthood are bad for society. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1920/millennials-value-parenthood-over-marriage)