New research commissioned by Accord, the Catholic marriage care service, has shown that a majority of couples believe marriage contributes to the longevity of relationships.
The survey, by Amárach Research, found that in general, people living in a couple relationship in Ireland rate their overall relationship and personal wellbeing as quite high.
Seventy-five per cent of those surveyed rated their relationship quality highly, with under ten per cent of people rating their relationship quality poorly.
Fifty-six per cent of couples said marriage was still important to the longevity of relationships. Twenty-three years was the average time together as couple amongst those surveyed.
The demographic that rated their relationship satisfaction the highest was those over the age of 55 and those who have been in a relationship for over 30 years.
Overall, ratings for relationships were very positive, with almost ninety per cent of couples rating the level of trust in their relationship as very strong, eighty per cent rating their relationship happiness as very strong, and over seventy per cent rating their quality of communication within their relationship as very strong.
Another key finding showed that eighty-one per cent of people agreed that money and financial pressures are the most significant source of pressure for couples today.
Unsurprisingly, with the country in the midst of a severe housing crisis, the ability to buy a home was flagged by younger couples as one of the main pressures they face.
The survey also showed that over a third of respondents would recommend Accord to those experiencing problems in a marriage or relationship.
Accord commissioned Amárach Research to survey 700 adults who were living as part of a couple during May 2022. The findings were unveiled during a special gathering of 200
Accord facilitators, counsellors and clergy met in St Patrick’s College, Maynooth last weekend to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Accord.
Accord helps engaged couples prepare for sacramental marriage as well as supporting couples when difficulties arise in their relationship by providing professional counselling and support.
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