With the latest data from trusted sources like the CDC and Pew Research, we bring you a comprehensive and updated look at the real state of divorce in America.
From declining rates to surprising trends across different states and demographics, this deep dive into divorce statistics will give you a clearer understanding of how marriages are evolving in today's society.
Dive in to uncover the truths about divorce in the U.S.
The national average divorce rate in the U.S. in 2022 was 2.4 per 1,000 people, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported (Excluding data from California, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, and New Mexico).
It was approximately 33% lower than the average of 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2010 (Excluding California, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, and Minnesota data.)
The Centers for Disease Control also reported 673,989 total divorces in the U.S. in 2022, compared to 695,509 in 2021.
A prevalent myth about divorce rates in the U.S. suggests that 50% of first marriages, 67% of second marriages, and 73% of third marriages end in divorce.
However, these statistics are not based on any verifiable data, and their origins are untraceable, as highlighted in Shaunti Feldhahn's book The Good News About Marriage.
This misleading information has been widely quoted, including in reputable sources like Psychology Today and Forbes. It is important to acknowledge that these figures are inaccurate and should not be perpetuated.
These are the states with the highest divorce rates per 1,000 people as of 2022 (excludes data for California, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, and New Mexico):
Nevada has the highest divorce rate, with 4.2 divorces per 1,000 people.
These are the states with the lowest divorce rates per population of 1,000 as of 2022:
Louisiana, Illinois and Massachusetts are tied for the lowest divorce rate.
Divorce rates have continuously declined since the end of the 20th century, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A study by M. Rosenfeld from Stanford University discovered that women started almost 69% of all divorces among about 2,000 surveyed couples.
The main reasons why women initiate divorce more often than men are:
Women get divorced at a significantly higher rate compared to men.
The 2021 divorce rate dropped to 6.9 in the last year from 9.7 divorces per 1,000 women in 2011. Experts suggest this is a more accurate statistic of the actual divorce rate than the crude rate.
Some prognoses suggest that in 2022-2025, this number is set to increase.
There is a consistent trend regarding marriage and divorce rates among women across the U.S. For example, Black women usually display the lowest marriage probability and the highest divorce rates.
At the same time, Asian women get married at a higher rate and are less likely to get divorced.
These are the following percentages of divorced women across the United States:
These are the states with the highest marriage rates per 1,000 people as of 2022:
Nevada stands out as a clear leader in marriage rates, with an impressive 25.9 marriages per 1,000 people as of 2022. This rate is significantly higher than any other state, making Nevada a popular destination for couples looking to tie the knot, likely due to the state's renowned wedding industry centered in Las Vegas.
These are the states with the lowest marriage rates per 1,000 people as of 2022:
In the United States, the dynamics and longevity of marriages have shown varied patterns based on whether it's a first, second, or third union.
As of data available up to January 2022, the average duration of a first marriage that ends in divorce is commonly cited to be around 8-9 years.
However, subsequent marriages tend to have shorter durations on average.
Second marriages, which generally have a higher divorce rate than first ones, tend to last between 7-10 years when they end in divorce.
Third marriages, with an even higher propensity for dissolution, have an average duration of 5-8 years when they culminate in divorce.
It's essential to understand that these figures represent general averages and individual experiences can vary widely based on a multitude of factors, including age, socio-economic status, education, and the presence of children from previous unions.
The CDC.gov report provides the following demographics for the divorced population over 15 years old:
The following statistics demonstrate the explicit dependence of divorce rates on financial stability. Namely, the higher the income, the lower the percentage of divorces, and vice versa.
For instance, half of the states with the most insufficient median income are among the top ten with the highest divorce rates.
These are the states with the lowest median household income:
Income also impacts the decision to marry, seemingly decreasing the divorce rate.
In 2018, the Census Board reported that:
Financial difficulties are often cited as the main reason for not getting married among never-married adults, according to research:
The average length of a marriage is 8 years, according to Census.gov statistics.
Divorces typically occur during two periods in a marriage: either within the first two years or between the fifth and eighth years.
Although no conclusive results have been reached, the seventh and eighth are generally believed that the most challenging years in an average marriage.
This period is often referred to as the "7-year itch”.
Surveys by Businessinsider.com, The Huffington Post and Forbes found a diversity of reasons for couples to initiate the divorce process.
According to the 2019 Survey of U.S. adults, the most common reasons to get married are:
Studies show that 48% of people who get married before 18 are likely to divorce within ten years after the wedding. Research also suggests that 60% of couples married between the ages of 20 to 25 will end in divorce.
Couples who get married between the age of 28 and 32 are less likely to have their marriage end in a divorce, according to research by Dr. N. Wolfinger from Utah University.
According to bgsu.edu, In 1970, the median age at first divorce for men was 30.5 and 27.7 for women; by 2020, it reached 42.6 and 40.1, respectively. The divorce rate for people in their sixties has doubled since 1990, from 4.9 to 10.3 in 2008.
This type of divorce is known as a “gray divorce” and can cause severe depression, worse than if one’s partner passed away.
Trends in divorce rates among Baby Boomers have been dramatic.
Following their parents’ era (the “Silent Generation”), Boomers who came of age in the late 70s and early 80s started to divorce at a rate not seen before 1970. In 1990, there were 5 divorces for every 1,000 marriages.
In 2015, this figure doubled, according to the Pew Research survey.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Community Survey and the Pew Research report, the number of divorces per 1,000 individuals declines through each 10-year age group, as well as senior citizens 65 and older.
The marriage rate has fallen in the last decades, primarily because of the Millennials. They are also the only age group to see a reduction in both divorce and marriage rates. According to a 2020 report by Pew Research:
The reports posit that events such as the Great Recession of 2008, increasing home prices, and the high financial burden of student loan debt that millennials incur create barriers to marriage and creating a family.
Young age at first marriage is generally a high-risk factor for getting a divorce. For example, the Institute for Family Studies research shows that people who get married before they turn 20 have a 32% likelihood of getting divorced in the first five years of marriage.
Marriages concluded between 20 and 24 years old are 20% likely to end in divorce, while marriages at 25-29 end in 15% of cases.
Couples who tied the knot at 30-34 are the strongest, with only 14% of divorces. And lastly, marriages entered after 35 years old are at relatively high risk (19%) of breaking down.
According to the most recent estimates, the average age of those getting married for the first time in 2021 was 28.6 for women and 30.6 for men.
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Surveys show that divorce rates depend on education level. So, the more educated a person is, the more likely they will stay married.
The National Center for Health Statistics found that 78% of college-educated women were still married 20 years later, compared to women who only have a college diploma.
These are the divorce rates for those with different education levels:
Different studies show that African-American women are more likely to get divorced than women of other races. Sociologists suggest that it may be because of lower income and job prospects.
These are the divorce rates of each ethnicity as of 2018 per 1,000:
Black adults have the highest divorce rate and the lowest marriage rate. However, according to research, they also marry at later ages: 32 for men and 31 for women.
Black women are the only group among other races with a number of divorces higher than the marriage rate. In 2018, there were 31 divorces among the Black population and 17.3 marriages per 1,000 people.
The share of ever-divorced Black women was 38.9% per 1,000 married women in 2016, compared to 34.4% for Whites, 13.9% for Asians, and 33.7% for Hispanic-origin women.
Black adults also make up the largest share of the never-married group. Notably, 79% of 25-29- year-old Black women and 18% of 55-year-olds were never married as of 2016.
Ethnicity is one of the notable predictors of divorce.
For instance, Asian Americans have traditionally shown the lowest divorce rates of all other races. Currently, it’s 12.4 divorces per 1,000 people, with at least one divorce for 18% of Asian American women and 16% of men.
Hispanic-origin Americans are the second largest group regarding the number of divorces. An average of 18.5 marriage dissolutions were registered in 2018 among the representatives of this ethnicity, 30% of them being women and 27% being men.
White (Caucasian) Americans fall third with 15.1 divorces for 1,000 people. Specifically, 38% of White women and 36% of men have been divorced at least once.
Finally, Black Americans divorce at the highest rate compared to any other ethnicity in the U.S. In Particular, they had 30.8 divorces per 1,000 people in 2018.
Different studies suggest that children of divorced parents may experience divorce as adults.
For example, a 2008 study by S. Whitton from Boston University indicates that parental divorce causes lower levels of commitment towards marriage in the children.
Another study by researchers Paul Amato and Danelle Deboer found that if a woman’s parents divorced, her chances of getting divorced increased by 69%. They also suggested that if both of a married couple’s parents divorced, the possibility of their divorce increased to 189%.
However, many predictions and suggestions have not been adequately tested so far.
The most traditional opinion on the connection between divorce rates and occupation is that low-paid jobs create more friction and financial instability, leading to divorce.
As it turns out, money doesn’t necessarily determine whether people get divorced.
Sometimes, an occupation’s atmosphere also impacts a married couple’s relationship, ultimately making some call it quits.
These are the ten occupations with the highest divorce rates:
Pewresearch.org found that the highest divorce rates are among the Historically Black Protestant church attendees, while the lowest is among Hindus.
Census.gov's analysis of same-sex couple households in 2019 shows that 53.4% were female married couples, compared to 46.6% male married couples
The divorce rate for same-sex couples has risen from 1.1 per 1,000 people since 2015, when these marriages became legal nationwide. In 2017, about 5% to 6% were divorced, and 2.1% were separated.
Same-sex couples are 50% more likely to get divorced than different-sex couples.
Studies also found that lesbian couples are more likely to divorce if they have children. For example, 12.3% of two-female couples break up within the first 5 years of marriage compared to 2% of gay spouses.
In 2017, the divorce rate among military members ranged between 3% and 3.1%, nearly mirroring the 3.2% rate for non-military couples. In 2019, 30,608 military marriages ended in divorce.
Military members under 30 years old enlisted in air weapons and tactical operations have higher divorce rates than other military positions.
The highest divorce rate was among the Marine Corps and the Air Force - 3.3%. The Navy divorce rate was the lowest - 2.8%.
Military.com also shows that female enlisted officers and troops get divorced more often than men in other military positions.
Female officers divorced three times more than male military members.
The divorce rate of female troops in 2019 was 7%, while the divorce rate of male soldiers in the same year was only 2.5%.
Republicans are more likely to get married and less likely to get divorced, according to research by W.B.Wilcox.
The most Republican-friendly states have the highest marriage rates - Utah (56%), Idaho (55%), and Wyoming (53%).
Republicans are generally happier in their marriages than Democrats, according to the studies. For example, 67% of Republican spouses, compared to 60% of Democratic couples, said they were satisfied with their marriages in the 2010-14 General Social Survey.
The divorce rate regarding second marriages in the U.S. is 60% compared to 40-50% for the first marriages and 73% for the third ones, according to statistical research.
64% of people with at least a bachelor’s degree are likely to be married just once compared to all adults.
White men have the highest rate of second and third marriages, while Asian men and women have the lowest rate of remarriages.
