Introduction. The article is based on the results of a sociological study. The relevance of the research is based on the fact that building interpersonal relationships in the field of premarital behavior is one of the priorities for young people. The result of these relationships is the formation of their own vision, opinion and position in relation to the creation of a family and marriage. Marriage attitudes are formed in young people under the influence of socio-cultural factors that have to be faced both by an individual and by young people of a particular society. The purpose of the article is to study the opinions and needs of young people regarding the of legal marriage, to analyze the socio-cultural factors, which are the most important for the formation of marriage trends. Materials and Methods. The theoretical and methodological basis of the work is represented by a set of concepts and theoretical approaches in accordance with the subject and the problem of the article. It required reference to the methodological tools of family sociology, psychology, pedagogy, cultural studies, youth sociology, and demography. General research methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, interpretation, system method, and secondary analysis of empirical data were used. The authors’ empirical research was conducted using the questionnaire method. Results and Discussion. The authors conducted a survey of young people in Saransk. A total of 300 people were interviewed. The object of the study is young people aged 18 to 35 y.o., the subject is socio-cultural factors that influence the development of their marriage tendencies. The article empirically substantiates the main issues hindering youth from a legal marriage, analyzes the factors important for the life of the youth in Saransk in terms of their positive or negative impact on legal marriage. It also reveals the influence of national factors on trends in marriages among young people. Conclusion. The article empirically proves that the key socio-cultural factors that determine the marriage trends among the modern youth in Mordovia are both internal (the presence/absence of a suitable candidate for the role of a spouse, mutual love) and external (the absence/availability of separate housing, education, work, nationality) factors. In general, modern young people are very consistent in their position regarding marriage. The influence of the national factor is most significantly traced in issues related to the socio-cultural and moral aspects of premarital behavior. The novelty of the article is based on conceptual and empirical analysis of the influence of socio-cultural factors, including the national factor, opinions of young people in relation to legal marriage.