Interesting point: More religious people are more likely to get married and at a younger age. Less religious people are more likely to stay single for a much longer time. The average yeshiva bochur is looking to get married at the age of 21-22 [sometimes younger occasionally a bit older] while the girls at the age of 19-20 already start dating to get married.
Less religious people [and those who aren't religious at all] are getting married in their late 20's and often into their 30's and 40's - BY CHOICE.
What is the connection between religiosity and marriage?
One is that since there is a religious obligation to get married, religious people naturally look to get married earlier.
But there is a deeper reason. A religious lifestyle imposes a tremendous amount of responsibility. 3 minyanim and learning Torah every day. Shabbos, Yom Tov, Kashrus etc. etc. the list goes on and on. Marriage is ALSO a tremendous responsibility. Anyone married understands what an incredible change occurs after marriage. So a person who values RESPONSIBILITY and sees it as an ideal is both going to be religious and get married early.
A non-religious person sees FREEDOM as an ideal. No sof zman krias shma or minyan so he can sleep late, he can eat what he wants, when he wants and he doesn't even have to trouble himself to make a bracha before or after. Weekends? No Shabbos and he [or she] can "party hardy". No laws limiting "fun". We religious people have a Shulchan Aruch that can be a real "party pooper" [if it is permitted to say that]. Not only can't you touch her - you can't even look at her [if she isn't dressed modestly]. So not observing religious laws and pushing off marriage have a common denominator - FREEDOM from obligations. The ideal of being able to do whatever one wants trumps the value of responsibility and obligations.
So the religious person will ask - where is MY freedom? The answer is that Hashem created us that fulfillment is felt when one uses his or her freedom not to do whatever one feels like but to live with purpose.
