Open Marriage Divorce Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Open Marriage Divorce Statistics

Even among people who want consensual non-monogamy, the gap between intention and lived experience shows up sharply, from 2.6% of married adults reporting non-monogamy to 9.8% of committed partners reporting it in the last year, while 61% still say jealousy is normal and 48% credit boundary conversations for less stress. Pair that tension with the real-world stakes of ending a marriage, where 40% of marriages end in divorce within 15 years and the financial and emotional logistics can be substantial, including mediation as a faster path in many cases.

23 statistics23 sources7 sections5 min readUpdated today

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

28% of adults with an STI in past year reported that they had sex with multiple partners in past year (survey-based).

Statistic 2

10% of non-monogamous individuals reported that concerns about sexually transmitted infection influence their relationship agreements (survey-based).

Statistic 3

40% of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce within 15 years, according to a historical analysis of divorce hazards.

Statistic 4

5% of adults report having had an open relationship at some point (survey-based estimate).

Statistic 5

8% of partnered adults in the U.S. reported non-monogamy experience in a population survey.

Statistic 6

9.8% of people who identified as in a committed relationship reported engaging in non-monogamous behavior in the last year (U.S. sample).

Statistic 7

2.6% prevalence of non-monogamy among married adults in a U.S. probability sample (survey estimate).

Statistic 8

61% of adults agree that jealousy is a normal feeling in relationships (survey-based).

Statistic 9

48% of adults report that communication about boundaries reduces relationship stress (survey-based self-report).

Statistic 10

17% of people in a non-monogamous relationship report experiencing higher-than-usual stress related to stigma (survey-based).

Statistic 11

86% of adults who received counseling report overall satisfaction with mental health services (survey-based).

Statistic 12

1 in 5 adults (20%) in the U.S. sought mental health services in 2022 (service utilization).

Statistic 13

63% of couples report that communication improves after counseling (self-report outcome from survey of therapy impact).

Statistic 14

3% of adults in a nationally representative survey reported using support groups related to relationships/mental health (service utilization).

Statistic 15

2.1x lower time-to-resolution for mediated divorce cases compared with litigated cases (relative time result).

Statistic 16

6,000+ online divorce document services exist in the U.S. (count estimate from industry directory).

Statistic 17

45% of divorce cases involve property division that typically requires at least one expert appraisal (share estimate).

Statistic 18

$1,500 average cost of one co-parenting communication/parenting plan session for divorcing parents (service pricing estimate).

Statistic 19

25% of divorce-related matters are resolved via mediation rather than litigation in jurisdictions that report mediation participation (share estimate).

Statistic 20

The online therapy market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.9% from 2024 to 2030 (growth rate).

Statistic 21

Divorce mediation services are projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2024 to 2033 (growth rate).

Statistic 22

72% of couples that seek relationship education report improved communication outcomes (education outcomes).

Statistic 23

2,000+ relationship education programs were funded or delivered in the U.S. between 2018 and 2021 (program scale).

Sources
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Isabelle Moreau

Written by Isabelle Moreau·Edited by Priyanka Sharma·Fact-checked by Peter Sandoval

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 14, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Nearly 40% of U.S. marriages end in divorce within 15 years, yet only about 5% of adults say they have ever been in an open relationship, creating a big gap between what people experience and what the public reports. Meanwhile, jealousy and boundaries still sit side by side with mental health supports, since 61% of adults view jealousy as normal and 48% say boundary communication eases stress. These statistics on Open Marriage Divorce do not just track endings, they show how non-monogamy, stigma, counseling, and co-parenting costs can shape what happens next.

Key Takeaways

  • 28% of adults with an STI in past year reported that they had sex with multiple partners in past year (survey-based).
  • 10% of non-monogamous individuals reported that concerns about sexually transmitted infection influence their relationship agreements (survey-based).
  • 40% of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce within 15 years, according to a historical analysis of divorce hazards.
  • 5% of adults report having had an open relationship at some point (survey-based estimate).
  • 8% of partnered adults in the U.S. reported non-monogamy experience in a population survey.
  • 9.8% of people who identified as in a committed relationship reported engaging in non-monogamous behavior in the last year (U.S. sample).
  • 61% of adults agree that jealousy is a normal feeling in relationships (survey-based).
  • 48% of adults report that communication about boundaries reduces relationship stress (survey-based self-report).
  • 17% of people in a non-monogamous relationship report experiencing higher-than-usual stress related to stigma (survey-based).
  • 86% of adults who received counseling report overall satisfaction with mental health services (survey-based).
  • 1 in 5 adults (20%) in the U.S. sought mental health services in 2022 (service utilization).
  • 63% of couples report that communication improves after counseling (self-report outcome from survey of therapy impact).
  • 45% of divorce cases involve property division that typically requires at least one expert appraisal (share estimate).
  • $1,500 average cost of one co-parenting communication/parenting plan session for divorcing parents (service pricing estimate).
  • 25% of divorce-related matters are resolved via mediation rather than litigation in jurisdictions that report mediation participation (share estimate).

Non-monogamy affects a minority of relationships, while most couples rely on communication and support, and divorce remains common.

Health & Outcomes

128% of adults with an STI in past year reported that they had sex with multiple partners in past year (survey-based).[1]
Verified
210% of non-monogamous individuals reported that concerns about sexually transmitted infection influence their relationship agreements (survey-based).[2]
Verified

Health & Outcomes Interpretation

In the Health and Outcomes lens, 28% of adults with an STI in the past year reported multiple partners, and 10% of non-monogamous people said STI concerns shape their relationship agreements, suggesting that sexual health risk is both common and actively considered in open marriage dynamics.

Divorce Frequency

140% of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce within 15 years, according to a historical analysis of divorce hazards.[3]
Verified

Divorce Frequency Interpretation

From a divorce frequency standpoint, the fact that 40% of U.S. marriages end in divorce within 15 years suggests divorce is a common outcome well within the first two decades of marriage.

Open Marriage Prevalence

15% of adults report having had an open relationship at some point (survey-based estimate).[4]
Verified
28% of partnered adults in the U.S. reported non-monogamy experience in a population survey.[5]
Verified
39.8% of people who identified as in a committed relationship reported engaging in non-monogamous behavior in the last year (U.S. sample).[6]
Verified
42.6% prevalence of non-monogamy among married adults in a U.S. probability sample (survey estimate).[7]
Verified

Open Marriage Prevalence Interpretation

For the open marriage prevalence angle, survey results suggest non-monogamy is not marginal, with estimates ranging from 2.6% of married adults to 8% of partnered adults, and even 5% of adults overall reporting that they have had an open relationship at some point.

Attitudes & Beliefs

161% of adults agree that jealousy is a normal feeling in relationships (survey-based).[8]
Verified
248% of adults report that communication about boundaries reduces relationship stress (survey-based self-report).[9]
Verified
317% of people in a non-monogamous relationship report experiencing higher-than-usual stress related to stigma (survey-based).[10]
Verified

Attitudes & Beliefs Interpretation

In the attitudes and beliefs around open marriage, most adults normalize jealousy at 61% and believe boundary communication lowers stress at 48%, but only 17% report stigma-driven stress in non-monogamous relationships, suggesting belief in healthy relational dynamics is common even as a smaller group still feels stigma’s strain.

Service & Intervention

186% of adults who received counseling report overall satisfaction with mental health services (survey-based).[11]
Verified
21 in 5 adults (20%) in the U.S. sought mental health services in 2022 (service utilization).[12]
Directional
363% of couples report that communication improves after counseling (self-report outcome from survey of therapy impact).[13]
Verified
43% of adults in a nationally representative survey reported using support groups related to relationships/mental health (service utilization).[14]
Verified
52.1x lower time-to-resolution for mediated divorce cases compared with litigated cases (relative time result).[15]
Verified
66,000+ online divorce document services exist in the U.S. (count estimate from industry directory).[16]
Verified

Service & Intervention Interpretation

Within the Service and Intervention frame, the data suggests counseling and structured supports can meaningfully help since 63% of couples report better communication after counseling and mediated divorce cases resolve about 2.1 times faster than litigated ones, even though only 20% of adults sought mental health services in 2022 and just 3% used relationship or mental health support groups.

Cost & Time

145% of divorce cases involve property division that typically requires at least one expert appraisal (share estimate).[17]
Verified
2$1,500 average cost of one co-parenting communication/parenting plan session for divorcing parents (service pricing estimate).[18]
Verified
325% of divorce-related matters are resolved via mediation rather than litigation in jurisdictions that report mediation participation (share estimate).[19]
Verified

Cost & Time Interpretation

In the cost and time category of open marriage divorce, expenses can add up quickly, with 45% of cases involving property division that typically requires expert appraisal and the average co-parenting communication or parenting plan session costing $1,500, while only 25% of divorce-related matters are resolved through mediation instead of litigation.

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
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

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
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

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
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

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
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Open Marriage Divorce Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/open-marriage-divorce-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Open Marriage Divorce Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/open-marriage-divorce-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Open Marriage Divorce Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/open-marriage-divorce-statistics.

References

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