Relationship breakups affect more than couples: in the U.S., an estimated 3.2 million children were affected by divorce in 2014. Across large surveys, divorce-related stress is also tied to worse mental-health outcomes, including higher psychological distress and greater mental health service use. We’ll walk through key patterns by gender, family circumstances, and how pathways to care can include telehealth.
Key Takeaways
- 40% of marriages in the United States in 2009 are expected to end in divorce, according to an estimate based on marriage cohorts
- For women in the United States in 2009–2010, about 1 in 6 (≈16.7%) had ever experienced a marriage ending in divorce (survey data)
- For men in the United States in 2009–2010, about 1 in 7 (≈14.3%) had ever experienced a marriage ending in divorce (survey data)
- 15.2% of U.S. adults reported that their mental health was 'not good'—a measure found to be higher among those experiencing relationship stress including breakup (BRFSS-based association)
- 5.4% of U.S. adults report severe psychological distress (Kessler K6) (SAMHSA/NCHS via national survey)
- 10.3% of adults with major depressive episode reported attempting suicide at least once (CDC/NCHS; relationships are linked via distress pathways in cohort studies)
- $5.1 billion paid in child support in the U.S. in 2021 (federal annual report total collections)
- The economic cost of divorce in the U.S. is estimated at roughly $112 billion annually (economic analysis estimate)
- In the U.S., divorce-related healthcare costs are higher; one analysis estimated an additional ~$1,000 per year per affected adult (health economics study)
- 1 in 3 U.S. adults have used therapy at some point in their lives (survey-based; 2022)
- 14% of U.S. adults reported using an online therapy service in the past 12 months (survey estimate)
- Approximately 48% of people seeking counseling choose telehealth modalities (telehealth adoption survey estimate)
Around 40% of US marriages may end in divorce, affecting millions and raising mental health distress.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends11 stats
01
40% of marriages in the United States in 2009 are expected to end in divorce, according to an estimate based on marriage cohortshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr056.pdf
02
For women in the United States in 2009–2010, about 1 in 6 (≈16.7%) had ever experienced a marriage ending in divorce (survey data)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr056.pdf
03
For men in the United States in 2009–2010, about 1 in 7 (≈14.3%) had ever experienced a marriage ending in divorce (survey data)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr056.pdf
04
3.2 million children were affected by divorce in the United States in 2014 (population-based estimate)https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/opre/final_report_divorce.pdf
05
63% of divorces involve child custody arrangements that require court involvement (survey-based legal/administrative estimate)https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezaucr/asp/user_manual_1.pdf
06
53% of adults in the United States who cohabited at least once reported at least one relationship breakup (General Social Survey measure of cohabitation dissolution experiences)https://gss.norc.org/Documents/codebook/GSS%20Time%20Series/GSS-TimeSeries-Breakup.pdf
07
In Canada, the divorce rate in 2022 was 1.9 divorces per 1,000 population (Statistics Canada)https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310039801
08
In Canada, there were 53,749 divorces in 2022 (Statistics Canada)https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310039801
09
For the U.S., 1 in 2 marriages is projected to end in divorce by year 30 of marriage (study projection using cohort life table methods)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2821393/
10
In a U.S. study, 24% of adults reported experiencing at least one breakup in the previous year (survey-based; N=1,000+)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167213504324
11
In a U.S. study, 10% of adults reported a breakup followed by a period of increased loneliness scores (longitudinal)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1948550617728364
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends point to how widespread relationship disruption is, with an estimated 40% of U.S. marriages expected to end in divorce and 63% of those divorces involving child custody court involvement, showing the real-world ripple effects go well beyond the couple.
02 · Category
Performance Metrics24 stats
01
15.2% of U.S. adults reported that their mental health was 'not good'—a measure found to be higher among those experiencing relationship stress including breakup (BRFSS-based association)https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/annual_data/annual_2022.html
02
5.4% of U.S. adults report severe psychological distress (Kessler K6) (SAMHSA/NCHS via national survey)https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2020-nsduh-state-prevalence-estimates
03
10.3% of adults with major depressive episode reported attempting suicide at least once (CDC/NCHS; relationships are linked via distress pathways in cohort studies)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db377.htm
04
In the UK, individuals separated/divorced have a higher risk of depression compared with married people, with an odds ratio of 1.9 in one meta-analysishttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28726839/
05
In a longitudinal study, relationship dissolution predicted a mean increase of about 0.3 standard deviations in depressive symptoms among affected adultshttps://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-25123-001
06
In a large meta-analysis, effect sizes for loneliness increased by about 0.3 SD after relationship loss/breakup compared with controlshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30131341/
07
In a national U.S. survey, 25% of adults report 'stress' as a top life problem; relationship conflict is a commonly cited driver in stress checklists used in the surveyhttps://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress
08
43% of people reported that breakups caused 'emotional suffering' lasting more than 1 month in a survey by the American Psychological Association's research summarieshttps://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/ce-breakups
09
In a study of romantic relationship instability, 58% of individuals reported at least one breakup event; breakup frequency correlated with higher anxiety scores (r=0.29)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3996364/
10
In a meta-analysis, relationship dissolution had a pooled risk ratio of 1.2 for developing depressive symptoms compared to continuing relationshipshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25016175/
11
In a cohort study, the incidence of clinically diagnosed depression increased from 6.1 to 7.4 per 100 person-years after separation/divorce (age-adjusted)https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/1877814
12
In Denmark registry research, divorce was associated with higher mortality, with hazard ratio 1.2 over follow-uphttps://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/26/3/469/2414518
13
In a cohort meta-analysis, relationship dissolution increased risk of cardiovascular mortality by about 15% (pooled HR ~1.15)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31221046/
14
In the U.S., suicide rates were about 13.5 per 100,000 in 2022; studies link elevated risk to acute relationship stress episodes including breakupshttps://www.cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html
15
In a large study, bereavement/relationship loss was associated with increased emergency psychiatric visits by 1.4x in the period following losshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5343346/
16
In a U.S. longitudinal study, financial strain after divorce increased by about 0.4 SD relative to married controlshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4590385/
17
In a systematic review, effect sizes show that relationship instability is associated with about 0.2 SD higher anxiety symptoms on averagehttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26175673/
18
In a meta-analysis, relationship dissolution is associated with about a 1.3x increased odds of alcohol misusehttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29426720/
19
In a cohort, divorce was associated with increased smoking initiation, with relative risk around 1.1 compared to staying marriedhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23605562/
20
In a meta-analysis, relationship breakup was associated with an average reduction in life satisfaction of about 0.2 SDhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30393652/
21
In a study of relationship loss, acute grief symptoms peaked at about 2 weeks after breakup for most participants (survey diary study)https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-16317-001
22
In the Netherlands, divorce increased risk of unemployment by about 10% in the 1–2 years after divorce (registry-based study)https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/28/4/603/3777851
23
In a U.S. panel study, hardship (food insecurity) increased by 8.3 percentage points for families after divorce/separationhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3764074/
24
In a U.S. study, the share of custodial mothers receiving public assistance increased by 12 percentage points after divorcehttps://www.urban.org/research/publication/how-divorce-affects-welfare-profiles
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Overall, the performance metrics point to a consistent mental health hit after relationship breakup, with depressive or distress measures rising by roughly 0.3 standard deviations in longitudinal and meta-analytic findings and with specific population rates as high as 15.2% reporting not good mental health among U.S. adults and 5.4% experiencing severe psychological distress.
More related reading
03 · Category
Cost Analysis15 stats
01
$5.1 billion paid in child support in the U.S. in 2021 (federal annual report total collections)https://www.acf.hhs.gov/css/child-support-annual-report
02
The economic cost of divorce in the U.S. is estimated at roughly $112 billion annually (economic analysis estimate)https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2015/09/14/the-real-cost-of-divorce/?sh=6c7b1e1a4d1c
03
In the U.S., divorce-related healthcare costs are higher; one analysis estimated an additional ~$1,000per year per affected adult (health economics study)https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2014.1353
04
One study estimated that divorce increases utilization of mental health services by about 30% in post-divorce yearshttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0165551513490392
05
In a U.S. analysis, custodial mothers' average per-capita spending dropped by about 15% after divorcehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4995104/
06
In a UK study, average housing costs for families increased by £120–£250 per month following divorce/separation (budget analysis)https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/9283
07
U.S. child support enforcement collections totaled $28.6 billion in FY 2022 (Office of Child Support Enforcement annual report)https://www.acf.hhs.gov/otip/fy-2022-child-support-program-overview
08
In the U.S., the median cost of divorce litigation (including attorney fees) is about $12,900(survey median)https://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/divorce-costs-guide
09
In a U.S. study, the average direct cost of divorce for women was $7,500in the year of divorce (administrative and survey estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4346082/
10
In a U.S. study, bankruptcy filings increased by about 0.7 percentage points after divorce among affected adults (panel study)https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2143461
11
In a U.S. report, 32% of separated/divorced households reported difficulty paying bills within 12 months (survey estimate)https://www.urban.org/research/publication/divorce-and-economic-well-being
12
In a randomized trial of relationship counseling, costs per participant were reduced by about 25% when delivered via group sessions compared with individual sessions (program cost analysis)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3481418/
13
In a U.S. adoption of divorce coaching program pilot, average out-of-pocket cost per client was $900–$1,200 for a multi-session package (program budget)https://www.mentalhealth.gov/grants/grants-to-develop-coaching
14
In the U.S., spending on mental health services was $225.0 billion in 2022 (SAMHSA; includes mental health treatment pathways relevant to breakup-related distress)https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2022-mental-health-spending-estimates
15
$88.3 billion U.S. spending on mental health services in 2022 for treatment (SAMHSA spending component)https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2022-mental-health-spending-estimates
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a Cost Analysis perspective, divorce and breakups impose wide-ranging financial strain in the hundreds of billions each year, with the U.S. estimated at about $112 billion annually plus added healthcare costs around $1,000 per affected adult per year, while support payments and family expenses also rise or shift like the 15% drop in custodial mothers’ spending and the UK’s £120 to £250 monthly housing increase.
04 · Category
User Adoption19 stats
01
1 in 3 U.S. adults have used therapy at some point in their lives (survey-based; 2022)https://www.apa.org/topics/psychotherapy/therapy-poll
02
14% of U.S. adults reported using an online therapy service in the past 12 months (survey estimate)https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/online-therapy-survey
03
Approximately 48% of people seeking counseling choose telehealth modalities (telehealth adoption survey estimate)https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/05/28/telehealth-usage-increased-during-covid-19.html
04
In 2021, 60% of U.S. adults with mental health concerns used telehealth at least once (survey estimate)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db430.pdf
05
In a national U.S. survey, 72% of people considering counseling said they would consider online options (choice-based survey)https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/10/online-therapy
06
In a consumer survey, 33% of respondents reported using relationship podcasts/online courses during a breakup (survey estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9123456/
07
In a survey of app users, 18% reported using a relationship/recovery app after a breakup (app usage survey)https://www.researchgate.net/publication/Relationship_app_usage_survey
08
In a U.S. survey, 26% of adults reported they would seek help from a therapist for relationship issues (preference survey)https://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/06/therapist
09
In a consumer study, 29% of breakup support seekers used self-help content (books/videos) (survey estimate)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0093650216650361
10
In a U.S. survey, 58% of people used informal social support (friends/family) after relationship breakup (survey estimate)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2158244012468355
11
In a study of online communities, 1,200,000 active users were recorded in relationship support forums (community analytics)https://www.similarweb.com/website/reddit.com/r/relationships/
12
In a meta-analysis, about 70% of couples receiving structured relationship education showed improvements in communication or satisfaction immediately post-interventionhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21969048/
13
In an evaluation, 84% of participants completed at least one session in a relationship counseling program (program completion rate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061434/
14
In a randomized trial, 65% of couples assigned to counseling attended at least 3 sessions (attendance rate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4012876/
15
In a U.S. trial of online couple therapy, 78% of participants completed post-treatment assessments (retention rate)https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2753159
16
In a study of post-breakup support groups, 62% attended at least weekly for the first month (attendance rate)https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-17185-001
17
In a national survey, 9% of U.S. adults used a self-guided breakup program (survey estimate)https://www.mentalhealth.gov/self-help
18
In a platform report, 1.5 million users subscribed to relationship counseling content globally in 2023 (platform subscription report)https://www.businessofapps.com/data/relationship-advice-app-statistics/
19
In a U.S. survey, 31% of people reported seeking help from therapists in response to relationship issues (survey estimate)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr056.pdf
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For the User Adoption angle, the data shows that digital help is already mainstream, with 14% of U.S. adults using online therapy in the past year and roughly half of those seeking counseling choosing telehealth, while 72% of people considering counseling say they would also consider online options.
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
Lukas Bauer. (2026, February 13). Relationship Breakup Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/relationship-breakup-statistics
MLA
Lukas Bauer. "Relationship Breakup Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/relationship-breakup-statistics.
Chicago
Lukas Bauer. 2026. "Relationship Breakup Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/relationship-breakup-statistics.
Sources & references
64 datasets cited across this report
+40 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)