VANCOUVER — No matter their age, more Canadians are turning their noses up at tying the knot.

Marriage has become little more than a social event, according to a new poll from the Angus Reid Institute.

At a time where popular culture and the “wedding industry” continues to promote the expectation of getting hitched, the findings go against some common assumptions about Canadian society — for instance that older adults are likely to view marriage as more important than younger Canadians.

“Weddings are still a big deal within a story arc or narrative on TV,” said the institute’s executive director Shachi Kurl Sunday. “The wedding industry, arguably, has to work harder than ever before to continue to make itself relevant.”

Kurl said the results suggest “a real flattening across generations” when it comes to walking down the aisle. To her, that’s striking.

“Young people and baby boomers are inclined to say marriage isn’t that relevant anymore,” she said.

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The poll surveyed 1,520 adults and attempted to understand Canadians’ attitudes and experiences of marriage. More than half of respondents said it’s “not important” to them whether people who want to spend their lives together get married.

This phenomenon — also seen in the U.S. and other developed countries — could point to a shift to values such as education or careers, Kurl’s report suggested.

For women, it could be as simple as not seeing marriage as necessary for financial stability.

And for millennials, their common financial woes may lead to putting off or rejecting marriage altogether.

The only difference between generations was when asked about whether unwed couples with children should get married.

Kurl found the majority of Canadians under 65 saw marital status as of little importance, while those older did think such couples should exchange vows.

“That used to be the last bastion,” Kurl said. “The shotgun wedding is a part of popular culture lore.”

The numbers varied greatly when it came to visible minorities, who were 57 per cent more likely to believe parents should get married, Kurl said. This is a significant finding, particularly for urban centres given their diverse demographics.

In addition, more than seven-in-ten respondents believed couples should live together before getting married, which Kurl said parallels the view that the institution is not important today as it once was.

“A generation ago, the idea of living together — but not married — was living in sin,” she said. “The social taboo associated with being together and unmarried has all been but erased.”

Affordability is one major driver for couples to shack up. And from a cost of living point-of-view, common-law relationships can make more sense than traditional marriages, Kurl said.

From a legal perspective, Canadians agree that marriages and common-law relationships are equal.

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Almost six-in-ten said couples who legally marry should not receive extra tax benefits unavailable to common-law spouses.

And roughly the same number, 58 per cent, said common-law relationships should be treated the same in terms of divvying up assets after a breakup.

“Marriage at its core essence,” Kurl said of Canadians’ views, “is simply not necessary.”

Released Monday, the Angus Reid Institute survey’s margin of error was 2.5 per cent.

Melanie Green is a Vancouver-based reporter covering food culture and policy. Follow her on Twitter: @mdgmedia

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