Some people see marriage as having lots of negative connotations. However, mostof these do not have to apply. Women can keep their own name. It is not necessary to have a huge expensive wedding. Being married today doesn't mean women being subservient to their husband, as it might have done in the past. Marriages in 2014 are modern marriages.
No one has to justify why they aren't married (there was a thread about this last week) but people seem to be doing that here, using some of the reasons above, which seem like poor kind of reasons to me.
It did make me laugh, that one poster said she had been happily unmarried in about 5 relationships. The fact these relationships have all ended shows she was right not to marry, seeing as marriage is a lifetime commitment. I know lots of marriages break down, but the intention for them to be lifetime is there at the start.
I think the answer to whether people are happily unmarried is largely determined by the circles people move in and partly by age. By 35, in some circles, almost everyone with children is married. Remaining unmarried can make people feel uncomfortable, although of course they can do what they like. Unmarried in those circles have mostly seemed keen to get married (the ones I've met anyway)
In other circles and esp amongst younger couples, few people are married and it is not seen as the norm. In circles where few people ever marry, those people do seem happy to me.
Sorry to post as a married person. Just my observations. As time goes on, the unmarried circle diminishes. I have only 1 friend left who is in a long term relationship with children, who is unmarried and she is getting married this summer after 11 years. She has been patiently waiting and is thrilled.