Over the entire history of humanity, binding relationships between males and females were vital for survival and reproduction. In Christian-influenced European societies, marriage formed an obligatory basis of families for many centuries. Intimate relationships between unmarried individuals were stigmatised for a long time and children born to unmarried parents were often rejected by society. With the advancing secularization since the beginning of the 20th century, the social pressure to marry is becoming less and less pronounced. Nevertheless, even today, many people still choose to enter into the covenant of marriage, which suggests that being married generates an increase in individual well-being that goes beyond the fullfilment of social norms.
