The line graph illustrates the number of marriages per 1,000 people in five different nations (USA, UK, Japan, Italy, and Sweden) between 1980 and 2020.
Overall, the number of marriages in almost all selected countries experienced a downward trend over the period, with the exception of Sweden, which fluctuated and peaked at approximately 5.5 marriages per 1,000 people in 2010 before dropping again.
Looking at the line graph in detail for the USA and Sweden, the marriage rate in the USA remained the highest throughout the period; it stood slightly above 10 in 1980 and dropped sharply to around 5.5 by 2020. However, the marriage rate in Sweden fluctuated, starting at around 4.5 in 1980 and peaking at approximately 5.5 in 2010, surpassing both Japan and the UK before dropping again.
Turning to the remaining nations, the UK, Japan, and Italy all experienced a downward trend. The marriage rate for the UK began at roughly 7.4 in 1980 and decreased gradually throughout the period, ending at the lowest point of just under 3.0. Similarly, Japan’s rate fell steadily from around 6.7 to approximately 4.3 by 2020. Meanwhile, Italy started at the lowest point among these three at nearly 6.0 and faced a consistent decline, finishing at roughly 2.8 at the end of the period.