I shudder to bring to the religious world the following reality, but due to the extremely picky Shidduch market, this unfortunately & tragically has a direct impact on the tragic rate of intermarriage.
Let’s realistically face it:- A young man or woman from not such a religious upbringing comes of age to marry. Many of them will be most compliant to marry a Jew[ess], and indeed will set about see[k]ing a Jew[ess]; Then some young picky girls & boys will begin rejecting this young candidate one after the other, often because of his/her weaker level of religiousness, and even those who have learned but come from poor backgrounds, and eventually the desperation & helplessness enmeshes, and then some fine day the young person meets a Shiktazh/Shegetz who talks nicely & is very prepared to settle, and after such a frustrating dating career, the young person feels that anyways the from community is heartless & uncaring, and s/he has done more than enough Hishtadlus, and now is not guilty for marrying out, and s/he gave it more than a fare try.
& I have seen this time & time again. When is the Frum world going to wake up and educate our youngsters to be realistic & snip down that shopping list considerably?