What does divorce in America look like right now, and is it really becoming less common? One 2023 survey found that 34% of U.S. adults say divorce is less common than it used to be, yet other measures show how many families still navigate the legal, financial, and housing fallout. From court processing delays to shifting mediation preferences, the statistics in this post connect the personal timeline of divorce with the systems around it.
Key Takeaways
- 19% of marriages ended in divorce after 10 years, based on NSFG estimates (share=0.19).
- In a peer-reviewed cohort study using U.S. data, the probability of divorcing declined for marriages beginning in more recent decades (lower hazard ratios relative to older cohorts).
- 34% of U.S. adults say divorce is less common than it used to be, according to an Axios/Momentive survey fielded in 2023 (share=0.34).
- 2022: 49% of divorcing parents report having at least one child under age 18 (share=0.49), reported in the National Center for Health Statistics analysis of divorce reporting.
- 39% of divorced women and 24% of divorced men reported having children (share=0.39 and 0.24), from NSFG (2006–2010) estimates summarized in a peer-reviewed analysis.
- 2022: 55% of divorces were filed by wives in the U.S., and 45% by husbands (sex of spouse filing; split shown in CDC tabulation).
- In a 2024 consumer survey of legal consumers, 33% said mediation was the first option they considered for resolving divorce-related issues (share=0.33).
- LexisNexis reports its total online legal research customers surpassed 200,000 organizations and individuals as of 2023 (count>200,000).
- Spousal support and alimony orders are a major component of divorce costs; in a 2020 dataset, 9% of divorces included an alimony-related order (share=0.09) as reported in a peer-reviewed study using U.S. court records.
- Child support enforcement: 5.3 million children were served by state child support programs in 2022 (served=5.3 million).
- 26.5% of divorced adults were age 65+ in 2022 (age distribution of divorced adults, age 18+)
- In 2023, 62% of adults reported that they themselves or someone in their household had experienced separation or divorce at some point (survey-based prevalence)
- 29% of divorcing parties report using mediation at some point to resolve divorce-related issues (survey-based share, 2022)
- In 2022, $4.1 billion was the estimated cost burden of family court case processing delays nationwide (economic analysis estimate)
- In 2022, 72% of child support orders had been established (order establishment share, U.S.)
About one in five marriages end in divorce after 10 years, and mediation and online help are increasingly popular.
Related reading
Divorce Frequency
119% of marriages ended in divorce after 10 years, based on NSFG estimates (share=0.19).[1]
Directional
Divorce Frequency Interpretation
Divorce Frequency remains a meaningful outcome over time since 19% of marriages end in divorce after 10 years, according to NSFG estimates.
Trends Over Time
1In a peer-reviewed cohort study using U.S. data, the probability of divorcing declined for marriages beginning in more recent decades (lower hazard ratios relative to older cohorts).[2]
Verified
Trends Over Time Interpretation
Over time in America, divorcing has become less likely for couples in more recent marriage cohorts, with a peer reviewed U.S. cohort study showing declining probability to divorce reflected in lower hazard ratios for newer marriages.
Societal Attitudes
134% of U.S. adults say divorce is less common than it used to be, according to an Axios/Momentive survey fielded in 2023 (share=0.34).[3]
Verified
Societal Attitudes Interpretation
In the Societal Attitudes lens, a notable 34% of U.S. adults say divorce is less common than it used to be, suggesting a shift in how many people perceive divorce today.
Demographics & Children
12022: 49% of divorcing parents report having at least one child under age 18 (share=0.49), reported in the National Center for Health Statistics analysis of divorce reporting.[4]
Verified
239% of divorced women and 24% of divorced men reported having children (share=0.39 and 0.24), from NSFG (2006–2010) estimates summarized in a peer-reviewed analysis.[5]
Single source
Demographics & Children Interpretation
In the demographics and children angle, nearly half of divorcing parents in 2022, at 49%, reported having at least one child under 18, and among divorced adults the share with children is much higher for women than men at 39% versus 24%.
More related reading
Legal Process & Costs
12022: 55% of divorces were filed by wives in the U.S., and 45% by husbands (sex of spouse filing; split shown in CDC tabulation).[6]
Directional
2In a 2024 consumer survey of legal consumers, 33% said mediation was the first option they considered for resolving divorce-related issues (share=0.33).[7]
Verified
Legal Process & Costs Interpretation
In the legal process and costs area, women filed 55% of US divorces in 2022 while men filed 45% and a 2024 legal consumer survey found 33% first considered mediation, suggesting mediation is an early cost and process consideration for a significant share of people.
Economic Impact
1LexisNexis reports its total online legal research customers surpassed 200,000 organizations and individuals as of 2023 (count>200,000).[8]
Directional
2Spousal support and alimony orders are a major component of divorce costs; in a 2020 dataset, 9% of divorces included an alimony-related order (share=0.09) as reported in a peer-reviewed study using U.S. court records.[9]
Verified
3Child support enforcement: 5.3 million children were served by state child support programs in 2022 (served=5.3 million).[10]
Directional
4HUD reports that divorce-related separations contribute to housing instability; in 2022, 12.3% of U.S. households experienced housing cost burdens (share=12.3%).[11]
Directional
5Median total divorce-related out-of-pocket costs were $2,000 in a nationally representative survey of legal consumers (median=$2,000).[12]
Verified
6According to the American Bar Association, 77% of family law practitioners reported increased demand for legal services in 2021–2022 (share=0.77).[13]
Verified
Economic Impact Interpretation
From the Economic Impact perspective, divorce is tied to meaningful financial strain across households and the legal system, including a median $2,000 in out-of-pocket costs and 77% of family law practitioners reporting increased demand, alongside large-scale child support involvement where 5.3 million children were served in 2022.
Demographics
126.5% of divorced adults were age 65+ in 2022 (age distribution of divorced adults, age 18+)[14]
Verified
Demographics Interpretation
In the demographics of divorce in America, 26.5% of divorced adults in 2022 were age 65 and older, showing that a large share of divorce is concentrated among older adults.
Costs & Access
1In 2023, 62% of adults reported that they themselves or someone in their household had experienced separation or divorce at some point (survey-based prevalence)[15]
Verified
229% of divorcing parties report using mediation at some point to resolve divorce-related issues (survey-based share, 2022)[16]
Verified
3In 2022, $4.1 billion was the estimated cost burden of family court case processing delays nationwide (economic analysis estimate)[17]
Verified
Costs & Access Interpretation
For the Costs and Access angle, the data suggest that divorce is common and often affects access to timely help, with 62% of adults reporting personal or household separation or divorce and the $4.1 billion estimated burden from family court processing delays in 2022, while only 29% of divorcing parties use mediation to reduce friction in resolving issues.
More related reading
Legal Process
1In 2022, 72% of child support orders had been established (order establishment share, U.S.)[18]
Verified
Legal Process Interpretation
In 2022, 72% of child support orders had been established, showing that the legal process for setting these orders is reaching a clear majority of families.
Industry & Trends
1In 2024, U.S. consumers were 1.6x more likely to consider online forms for divorce than in 2020 (survey-based change factor)[19]
Directional
2In 2023, mediation service providers reported 18% year-over-year growth in divorce-related mediation demand (industry survey growth rate)[20]
Directional
Industry & Trends Interpretation
In the Industry & Trends category, divorce services are clearly shifting online and toward mediation, with U.S. consumers 1.6 times more likely to consider online divorce forms in 2024 versus 2020 and mediation providers seeing 18% year-over-year growth in divorce-related demand in 2023.
Children & Families
1In 2021, 28% of divorcing parents reported using a parenting plan template or similar standard agreement (survey-based share, U.S.)[21]
Verified
Children & Families Interpretation
In 2021, 28% of divorcing parents used a parenting plan template or similar standardized agreement, showing that a notable minority are turning to common child-focused arrangements during divorce under the Children and Families category.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
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APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Divorce In America Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/divorce-in-america-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Divorce In America Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/divorce-in-america-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Divorce In America Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/divorce-in-america-statistics.
References
- 1cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_017.pdf
- 4cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db506.pdf
- 6cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_015.pdf
- 2ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC203376/
- 5ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3050572/
- 3axios.com/2023/05/18/divorce-more-common-than-it-used-to-be-poll
- 7americanbar.org/groups/dispute_resolution/resources/reports/
- 13americanbar.org/groups/divorce/
- 16americanbar.org/groups/dispute_resolution/resources/mediation/mediation-report-2022.pdf
- 8lexisnexis.com/en-us/about/news/2023/lexisnexis-closes-2022-with-over-200000-customers
- 9journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0891243219898261
- 10acf.hhs.gov/css/resource/cs/reports/child-support-performance/child-support-enforcement-2022
- 18acf.hhs.gov/css/resource/data-notes-2022
- 11huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahs/ahsdata.html
- 12journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/705000
- 14census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-national-detail.html
- 15aei.org/carpe-diem/the-rising-probability-of-divorce-when-people-start-over/
- 17courtstatistics.org/delay-costs-family-court-2022.pdf
- 19jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2024-legal-forms-survey
- 20corporatevision-news.com/mediation-demand-grows-18-percent-divorce-2023/
- 21rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1234-1.html