Especially since more than 50% of all marriages end in divorce it dosen’t seem to be, as it is practised currently, very good at its supposed function.
Note: 50% of all marriages, not 50% of all married people. The people who get married (and divorced) several times drag down the overall success rate.
I find Stevenson-Wolfers (altalt) a credible source. It says that 50% of first marriages in the US from the 70s lasted 25 years. Marriages from the 80s look slightly more stable. The best graph is Figure 2 on page 37.
Note: 50% of all marriages, not 50% of all married people. The people who get married (and divorced) several times drag down the overall success rate.
Googling around revealed various claims of the success rate for first marriage: more than 70 percent, 50 to 60 percent, 70 to 90 percent, etc.
I find Stevenson-Wolfers (alt alt) a credible source. It says that 50% of first marriages in the US from the 70s lasted 25 years. Marriages from the 80s look slightly more stable. The best graph is Figure 2 on page 37.