Some ideas change slowly, almost without us noticing. One of them concerns marriage.
In 1999, 78% of Italians agreed with the statement: “A marriage lasts forever.” By 2025, that figure had fallen to 60%.
Even more significant is the decline among those expressing the strongest level of agreement, from 46% to 22%.
This does not suggest a decline in the importance people attach to emotional bonds.
Rather, it reflects a growing uncertainty about their durability.
Love remains a central value in people's lives.
What is weakening is the belief that a relationship can remain unchanged over time. The differences between social groups tell an interesting story.
Confidence in the durability of marriage remains higher in small towns and in Southern Italy, where family and community networks continue to play an important supportive role.
By contrast, greater caution emerges in more urbanised and individualised environments.
Women also express lower levels of confidence than men. This reflects broader changes in family roles, personal expectations and the balance between work and private life.
The data does not suggest the end of love. Rather, it points to a shift from a model built on the promise of permanence to one in which relationships are increasingly valued for their ability to generate mutual well-being and fulfilment. Love remains.
Belief in “forever” much less so.
