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.
Related reading
01 · Category
Health & Outcomes2 stats
01
28% of adults with an STI in past year reported that they had sex with multiple partners in past year (survey-based).https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr012.pdf
02
10% of non-monogamous individuals reported that concerns about sexually transmitted infection influence their relationship agreements (survey-based).https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022146518792020
Interpretation
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.
02 · Category
Divorce Frequency1 stats
01
40% of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce within 15 years, according to a historical analysis of divorce hazards.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4979170/
Interpretation
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.
03 · Category
Open Marriage Prevalence4 stats
01
5% of adults report having had an open relationship at some point (survey-based estimate).https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0192513X20977544
02
8% of partnered adults in the U.S. reported non-monogamy experience in a population survey.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-21472-001
03
9.8% of people who identified as in a committed relationship reported engaging in non-monogamous behavior in the last year (U.S. sample).https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2378023116682365
04
2.6% prevalence of non-monogamy among married adults in a U.S. probability sample (survey estimate).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5637719/
Interpretation
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.
04 · Category
Attitudes & Beliefs3 stats
01
61% of adults agree that jealousy is a normal feeling in relationships (survey-based).https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2013/02/jealousy
02
48% of adults report that communication about boundaries reduces relationship stress (survey-based self-report).https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0265407517710565
03
17% of people in a non-monogamous relationship report experiencing higher-than-usual stress related to stigma (survey-based).https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0265407515623985
Interpretation
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.
More related reading
05 · Category
Service & Intervention6 stats
01
86% of adults who received counseling report overall satisfaction with mental health services (survey-based).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5809682/
02
1 in 5 adults (20%) in the U.S. sought mental health services in 2022 (service utilization).https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt42302/2022NSDUH.pdf
03
63% of couples report that communication improves after counseling (self-report outcome from survey of therapy impact).https://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/12/therapy
04
3% of adults in a nationally representative survey reported using support groups related to relationships/mental health (service utilization).https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/support-groups
05
2.1x lower time-to-resolution for mediated divorce cases compared with litigated cases (relative time result).https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/dispute_resolution/aba-adr-report-time-to-resolution.pdf
06
6,000+ online divorce document services exist in the U.S. (count estimate from industry directory).https://www.g2.com/categories/divorce-filing-services
Interpretation
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.
06 · Category
Cost & Time3 stats
01
45% of divorce cases involve property division that typically requires at least one expert appraisal (share estimate).https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/divorce/2019-divorce-property-division-study.pdf
02
$1,500average cost of one co-parenting communication/parenting plan session for divorcing parents (service pricing estimate).https://www.divorcemediation.com/parenting-plan-cost/
03
25% of divorce-related matters are resolved via mediation rather than litigation in jurisdictions that report mediation participation (share estimate).https://www.courts.oregon.gov/OJD/Documents/ODRC/mediation-divorce.pdf
Interpretation
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.
07 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
The online therapy market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.9% from 2024 to 2030 (growth rate).https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/online-therapy-market
02
Divorce mediation services are projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2024 to 2033 (growth rate).https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/divorce-mediation-market
03
72% of couples that seek relationship education report improved communication outcomes (education outcomes).https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/resource/relationship-education-outcomes
04
2,000+ relationship education programs were funded or delivered in the U.S. between 2018 and 2021 (program scale).https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/resource/fy-2021-relationship-skills-program-summary
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
For the Industry Trends around open marriage and divorce, rapidly expanding support ecosystems are emerging as online therapy is set to grow at a 12.9% CAGR from 2024 to 2030 while 72% of relationship education participants report improved communication outcomes.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
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.
Sources & references
23 datasets cited across this report
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)