The recent data from the Federal Government reveals that more young couples are living together before marriage. The report observed those who cohabited before marriage, including race and ethnicity, education level, upbringing and whether couples were betrothed when they started living together.

It was found that around 61% of women and 63% of men had lived together only with the one they got married to. And 66% of women and 69% of men who were married for 10 years had never lived together.

Paul Amato, a Sociologist at Pennsylvania State University, says that the new data implies that "maybe the effect of premarital cohabitation is becoming less of a problem than it was in the past. If it becomes normative now, maybe it's not such a big deal".

The data proves that those who are in a live-in relationship have the same probability of getting divorced, as married couples who have never lived together before tying the nuptial knot. However, those who cohabit before making any plans to enter wedlock seem to have a higher risk of divorce.

But Andrew Cherlin, a Sociologist at Johns Hopkins University, says the report may suppress fears of cohabitation "as a long-term substitute for marriage", as in some European countries.