Young people between 15 To 29 year-olds prefer the free union instead of marriage

A study carried out by the National Institute of statistics and census (INEC) said that 22.14% of the population between 15 to 29 years old live in common-law union. Those who say yes to a judge or a religious leader hardly represent the 15.9%. And most (58,27%) are single.

The Civil Code cover this type of union. And defines it as a “stable and monogamous relationship, of more than two years, between a man and a woman, who are not married, in order to live together, procreate and aid each other, thus giving origin to a society of property”.

In Guayaquil, the 36% of the adult population live in free union. As it was reflected in a study conducted by the firm Location World, published in November 2013. In contrast to Quito where, for example, 78% of adults (aged 30 to 64) is married.

The sociologist Carlos Tutivén says that the reason why more and more couples reject marriage trough the Civil Registry and the churches is a result of “hypersecularization”. “The society is experiencing a rapid dissolution of values and traditions. Social pacts as marriage, which formerly maintained society articulated based on standards, are today replaced by others”.

Another sign that the marriage is losing fans  is because nowadays they don’t last long. In the ranking by provinces of the INEC, marriages last, on average, 17 years at the provinces of Bolivar and  Morona Santiago; 16 in Carchi, Esmeraldas and Manabi; and up to 15 in El Oro. Guayas and Pichincha do not appear.  Tutiven says that “Now, a hedonic individualism predominates , especially in the middle-class couples. Marriage, designed to be together until death, revolves around in favor of a personal life project”.