A couple shares a moment atop the Empire State Building after being married on Valentine’s Day 2008. (AP Photo)
Forget about being young at heart–the Americans who are most likely to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year are the actual young–people from 18-24.
More than half of people over 65 don’t care at all about the day devoted to expressions of love, affection and friendship.
Despite that, Americans are still expected to spend $18.9 billion–a record amount–for Valentine’s Day this year, according to the National Retail Federation.
The average shopper will spend $142.31—up from $133.91 last year.
Valentine’s Day is one place online shopping hasn’t taken over. More than 90 percent of people who plan to buy a Valentine’s Day gift will buy it in an actual store rather than online, according to Horizon Media.
Even the U.S. Department of Commerce, a federal government agency, is getting in on the Valentine’s frenzy by releasing a fact sheet on all things related to the holiday of love.
Here are some tidbits:
(AP Photo)
Candy
Number of U.S. manufacturing establishments that produced chocolate products in 2012, employing 37,998 people: 1,379
Number of U.S. establishments that manufactured nonchocolate confectionary products in 2012. These establishments employed 20,419 people: 445
Estimated value of 2011 shipments for firms producing chocolate and cocoa products: $13.5 billion
(AP Photo)
Flowers & Jewelry
The total number of florist establishments nationwide in 2012. These businesses employed 62,397 people: 14,344
Value of imports for cut flowers and buds for bouquets in 2014 through November: $294,730,180
The total value of fresh cut roses as of October 2014: $407,807,220
Estimated number of jewelry stores in the United States in 2012: 23,413
(AP Photo)
Love & Marriage
Median age at first marriage in 2013 for men and women, respectively: 29.0 and 26.6 years
The overall percentage of people 15 and older who reported being married: 52.7%
Percentage of people 15 and older in 2013 who had been married at some point in their lives — either currently or formerly: 68.6%
The provisional number of marriages that took place in the United States in 2011: 2.1 million (nearly 5,800 a day)
The percentage of women who married for the first time between 1990 and 1994, who reached their 10th anniversary: 74.5%
Among people 15 and older who have been married, the percentage of men and women in 2013 who have been married twice: 19.2%
Median length of first marriages that ended in divorce: 8 years
married in 1983, still married to the same person, going on 32 years now, happily going strong for 32 years….
Since you your report that the median age for getting married is 29 for men and 26 for women, it would have been more relevant as far as statistics goes not to begin introducing people as young as 16 into some of your sampled population. Just an example: your spoke of just 52% as being married, but this then included people in the 16 -29 year bracket for men, which is a group of 13 years and includes many who are not yet married but will get married by 29. Thus, a more meaningful static would be how many people from 24-34 are married. It would not be perfect, but more meaningful than the 52% you listed.
68 and still surprise my wife with something on Valentines Day.
WE NEED MORE MEN LIKE YOU
Since when do we generate statistics on marriage rates in the USA starting at 15 years old? I don’t think the majority of States allow marriage at such a young age. The article should present information that does not seemingly indicate that people get married so young, when young people are not even considered adults or able to vote in the USA until 18 years old.
I AGREE