The decline of the middle class, the disintegration of communities, and the fall of the family are all interrelated phenomena. America, as a nation is less religious, more divided (aka diverse) and less familiar than before. The decline in the marriage rate fits neatly into the rest of the unhappy story as America follows in the disintegrating social footsteps of Europe.

Marriage rates in the U.S. have dropped to their lowest numbers on record in recent years, according to new government figures on Wednesday.

The statistics reportedly show that American marriages fell 6 percent in 2018, with 6.5 new unions formed out of every 1,000 people, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Sally Curtin, a statistician at the center and lead author of the report, told The Wall Street Journal that that’s the lowest rate since the federal government started keeping records of marriage data in 1867.

“Millennials are in peak marriage years, their 20s and 30s, and it’s still dropping,” Curtin said. “This is historic.”

2018 had good economic numbers. That, in theory, should lead to higher marriage rates. Millennials however are less religious, less committed to communities and families. And, for those wondering why it matters, more likely to be socialist.

The bottom line is that most people do want to be part of something larger. If it’s not a family, it’s much more likely to be the government.