Prenuptial agreements have shed their old stigma and gone mainstream, especially among younger couples. About 15% of Americans have now signed a prenup, up from just 3% in 2010, and roughly half of adults say they support the idea. This page collects more than 30 prenup statistics on how common prenuptial agreements are, how fast they are rising, who signs them, and why, drawn from the Harris Poll, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and industry data. If you are considering one yourself, see our prenup hub.
Key Prenup Statistics
Contents
- About 15% of Americans have signed a prenuptial agreement, up from 3% in 2010 (Harris Poll, 2022).
- The number of prenups in the United States rose roughly 400% between 2010 and 2023 (Harris Poll).
- Prenup use climbed from about 5% in 1995 to 15% in 2022 (Harris Poll).
- About 50% of Americans supported the use of prenups in 2024, up from 42% the year before (Axios-Harris Poll).
- About 41% of engaged or married Gen Z adults have entered into a prenup (Harris Poll).
- About 47% of engaged or married millennials have entered into a prenup (Harris Poll).
- In the 1990s, only about 8% of couples had a prenup (Harris Poll).
- About 75% of online prenup customers are between 18 and 39 (industry data, HelloPrenup).
- About 52% of women initiate the prenup process (industry data, HelloPrenup).
- About 72% of people cite avoiding litigation costs as a reason for a prenup (industry data).
- About 42% of women cite gender equality as a reason for getting a prenup (industry data).
- Over 62% of divorce attorneys reported a rise in clients requesting prenups over three years (American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2019).
- An online prenup can start around $599, compared with several thousand dollars when working with a lawyer (industry data).
- Despite the stereotype, signing a prenup is not linked to a higher chance of divorce (legal consensus).
How Common Are Prenups?
Prenuptial agreements are far more common than they used to be. About 15% of Americans have signed one, up from just 3% in 2010 (Harris Poll, 2022). What was once seen as something only the wealthy did is now a mainstream part of planning a marriage.
The shift is recent and steep. Prenup use climbed from about 5% in 1995 to 15% in 2022, and the total number of agreements rose roughly 400% between 2010 and 2023 (Harris Poll). For the marriage side of the data, see our marriage statistics and the full relationship and dating statistics hub.
Attitudes have moved just as fast. About half of U.S. adults now say they support prenups, a sign the stigma is fading rather than just shifting to a smaller group.
| Metric | Value | Source |
| Americans who have signed a prenup, 2022 | ~15% | Harris Poll |
| Same figure in 2010 | 3% | Harris Poll |
| Same figure in 1995 | ~5% | Harris Poll |
| Increase in prenups, 2010 to 2023 | ~400% | Harris Poll |
Prenups Are on the Rise
Every measure points the same way: prenups are growing. Support rose to 50% of Americans in 2024, up from 42% only a year earlier (Axios-Harris Poll), one of the faster swings in opinion on a family-life topic.
Demand is rising with opinion. Over 62% of divorce attorneys reported an increase in clients requesting prenuptial agreements over a three-year span (American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2019), and online prenup providers report rapid year-over-year growth.
| Metric | Value | Source |
| Americans supporting prenups, 2024 | 50% | Axios-Harris Poll |
| Same figure in 2023 | 42% | Axios-Harris Poll |
| Attorneys reporting more prenup requests | 62%+ | AAML, 2019 |
Prenups by Generation
Younger couples are driving the trend. About 41% of engaged or married Gen Z adults and 47% of millennials say they have entered into a prenup (Harris Poll), compared with only about 8% of couples in the 1990s.
The generational gap is striking. Prenups have gone from a rarity to something close to the norm among younger engaged couples, reflecting later marriage, more dual-income households, and a more practical view of money in relationships.
| Metric | Value | Source |
| Gen Z (engaged or married) with a prenup | 41% | Harris Poll |
| Millennials (engaged or married) with a prenup | 47% | Harris Poll |
| Couples with a prenup in the 1990s | ~8% | Harris Poll |
Who Signs a Prenup
Prenup signers are younger than the stereotype suggests. About 75% of online prenup customers are between 18 and 39 (industry data, HelloPrenup), the same group marrying later and entering marriage with their own savings, debt, or businesses.
Women are increasingly the ones starting the conversation. About 52% of women initiate the prenup process (industry data), a shift from the old image of prenups as a tool used mainly by wealthier husbands.
| Metric | Value | Source |
| Online prenup customers aged 18 to 39 | ~75% | Industry data, HelloPrenup |
| Women who initiate the prenup process | ~52% | Industry data, HelloPrenup |
Why People Get a Prenup
The reasons have broadened past protecting family fortunes. The most common motivations include:
- Avoiding litigation costs, cited by about 72% (industry data)
- Protecting assets owned before marriage
- Shielding each partner from the other’s debt
- Protecting a business or future inheritance
- Gender equality, cited by about 42% of women (industry data)
Underlying all of these is a desire for clarity. Couples increasingly see a prenup as a way to agree on the financial terms of their marriage in advance, rather than leaving them to a court if things go wrong.
Prenups and Divorce
One myth keeps couples away: that signing a prenup makes divorce more likely. The legal consensus is that it does not. A prenup sets the terms in advance but does not change the odds a marriage lasts.
What a prenup does change is what happens if a marriage ends. It can reduce conflict, legal costs, and uncertainty during a divorce, which is part of why attorneys report rising demand. For the breakup side of the data, see our divorce statistics.
The Cost of a Prenup
Cost is less of a barrier than it once was. An online prenup can start around $599, compared with several thousand dollars when working with a lawyer (industry data), which has opened the option to couples with modest assets.
Most younger signers are not wealthy. A large share of online prenup customers hold less than $500,000 in liquid assets, which underlines that prenups are now used for clarity and debt protection, not only to guard large fortunes.
| Metric | Value | Source |
| Online prenup, starting cost | ~$599 | Industry data |
| With a lawyer | Several thousand dollars | Industry data |
Attitudes Toward Prenups
Public opinion has flipped within a few years. Support rose from 42% to 50% of Americans between 2023 and 2024 (Axios-Harris Poll), and younger adults are the most open of all.
The framing has changed alongside the numbers. Rather than a sign of distrust, a prenup is increasingly described as a practical, even romantic, act of honesty about money before marriage. Couples considering one can start with our prenup hub.
| Metric | Value | Source |
| Americans supporting prenups, 2023 | 42% | Axios-Harris Poll |
| Americans supporting prenups, 2024 | 50% | Axios-Harris Poll |
Methodology and Sources
Headline figures come from the Harris Poll and Axios-Harris Poll surveys and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Figures drawn from prenup providers are labeled as industry data, since they reflect those companies’ own customers rather than the full population. Figures are updated as new data is released.
- Harris Poll and Axios-Harris Poll surveys on prenuptial agreements
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) attorney survey
- Industry data from online prenup providers (HelloPrenup)