67% of Americans ages 18 to 29 prioritize finding long-term romantic partner: Harvard poll

Over two-thirds of young adults in the United States say that finding a long-term partner is an important life goal, according to the latest Harvard Youth Poll.

The survey, conducted in March and released April 23, found that financial security was the top priority for 86 percent of respondents, followed by home ownership (74 percent), a long-term romantic partnership (67 percent), marriage (57 percent), and acquiring significant wealth (56 percent). Having children came in last place among six options, with 48 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds considering having kids to be important, and only 46 percent say they are confident it's something they can realistically achieve.

The poll also showed a decline in the perceived value of marriage. Only 57 percent said getting married is important, and 53 percent felt optimistic they would eventually tie the knot. Confidence in finding a long-term partner was higher, with 62 percent of women and 52 percent of men expecting to succeed in that area.

Political views strongly influenced the results. "Conservatives put a premium on having children," with 69 percent of Republicans calling it important, compared to just 43 percent of Democrats. The pattern was similar with marriage, which 75 percent of Republicans considered important, versus 56 percent of liberals.

In romantic relationships, political compatibility was more important to women than men—53 percent of women said it mattered, while 42 percent of men agreed. The gap widened by party affiliation, with 70 percent of Democrats and 48 percent of Republicans valuing political alignment in a partner.

There was also a partisan divide on perceptions of social pressure placed on women. "Far more young Republicans than Democrats—25 percent vs. 3 percent—said females feel pressure to prioritize career over family," while "liberals were significantly more likely than conservatives—32 percent vs. 11 percent—to believe society pressures women to prioritize family over career."

Despite the focus on financial security, only 56 percent of respondents said they were confident they would reach that goal, highlighting a widespread concern among young adults about their economic futures.
 

The poll was conducted between March 14 and 25 of 2,096 18-to-29-year-olds and has a margin of error of 3.21 percent.