While the US divorce rate has plummeted to a 50-year low, the story behind the numbers reveals a complex portrait of modern marriage, financial strain, and the lasting impact on families.
Key Takeaways
- The US crude divorce rate in 2021 was 2.5 divorces per 1,000 total population
- From 2000 to 2021, the US divorce rate declined by 36%, from 4.0 to 2.5 per 1,000 population
- In 2019, there were 746,154 divorces and annulments granted in the US
- 45% of marriages end in divorce for couples married 20+ years
- Women initiate 69% of divorces in heterosexual marriages
- Divorce rate for college-educated women: 13% lower than high school grads
- Median duration of marriage at divorce: 11.9 years in 2021
- 10% of divorces occur within first year of marriage
- 48% of divorces happen in first 10 years
- Infidelity cited in 55% of divorces
- Lack of commitment top reason at 75% of divorces
- Incompatibility: 46.6% of surveyed divorcees
- 50% of divorces cost households $10,000+ in legal fees
- Women experience 27% income drop post-divorce, men 10%
- Child support averages $5,760 annually per custodial parent
The US divorce rate has significantly declined since peaking in the 1980s.
Causes
- Infidelity cited in 55% of divorces
- Lack of commitment top reason at 75% of divorces
- Incompatibility: 46.6% of surveyed divorcees
- Abuse (physical/mental): 23.5% factor in divorces
- Substance abuse contributes to 34% of divorces
- Financial problems: 36.7% cite as major cause
- Communication breakdown: 65% report as key issue
- Domestic violence: 24% of divorces
- Adultery: 59% of men, 44% women in infidelity divorces
- Growing apart: 27% reason
- Unrealistic expectations: 45% regret not addressing early
- Pornography addiction: linked to 56% divorce increase
- Mental health issues: 40% factor, depression highest
- Weight gain: 33% cite partner's as reason
- Social media: increases divorce risk by 2.7x per platform use
- Lack of family support: 13.5% cause
- Religious differences: 25% higher divorce risk
- Premarital cohabitation: 33% higher divorce odds
- Premarital childbirth: 24% increased risk
- Early marriage before 23: 50% higher risk
- No premarital education: 31% more likely to divorce
- Criticism/hostility patterns: predict 90% of divorces
- Stonewalling in marriage: 85% divorce predictor
- Contempt: strongest divorce predictor at 93%
- Defensiveness: 80% correlation with divorce
- Job loss: doubles divorce risk within 2 years
Causes Interpretation
It seems love may need more than a spark, as these numbers paint a stark portrait of modern marriage unraveling from a predictable cocktail of contempt, poor communication, and unmet expectations long before anyone thinks to check the phone.
Children and Family
- 65% of children of divorce live with mother post-split
- Children from divorced families: 50% more likely to divorce as adults
- 25% of children experience parental divorce by age 15
- Boys from divorced homes: 20% higher aggression rates
- Girls post-divorce: 60% more likely to have teen pregnancy
- Academic performance drops 12% average post-divorce
- 1 in 4 children see no father post-divorce within year
- Mental health: 2x depression risk for kids of divorce
- Suicide attempt rate: 3x higher for adolescents post-divorce
- Obesity risk: 64% higher in children of divorce
- Joint custody: 30% better outcomes than sole maternal
- Father absence: linked to 85% of youth suicides
- Poverty doubles for mother-child homes post-divorce
- 40% of children lose contact with one parent within 2 years
- Behavior problems: 2x more common post-divorce
- Adult relationship quality: 24% lower for children of divorce
- High-conflict divorce: 75% negative impact on kids, low-conflict 10%
- Stepfamily formation: 60% of kids experience, 50% dissolve
- Custodial mothers: 26% receive full support payments
- Relocation post-divorce: 40% of custodial parents move, disrupting kids
- Anxiety disorders: 35% higher in young adults from divorce
- Drug abuse risk: 2-3x greater for teens post-divorce
- School dropout: 2x rate for children of divorce
- Early sexual activity: 34% more likely
- Shared parenting: reduces emotional problems by 40%
- Long-term earnings: 15% lower for men from divorced homes
- Trust issues: 60% of children of divorce report in adulthood
- Remarriage of parent: increases behavior issues by 20%
Children and Family Interpretation
The avalanche of sobering statistics on American divorce, from doubled poverty rates to tripled suicide risks, reveals a societal tremor where children often pay the heaviest toll, yet the data also offers a clear compass: minimizing conflict and maximizing cooperative parenting can significantly soften the landing.
Demographics
- 45% of marriages end in divorce for couples married 20+ years
- Women initiate 69% of divorces in heterosexual marriages
- Divorce rate for college-educated women: 13% lower than high school grads
- Black Americans have highest divorce rate at 31% for first marriages
- Hispanic divorce rate: 20% within 10 years of first marriage
- White non-Hispanic divorce rate: 15.1 per 1,000 married women
- Asian Americans lowest divorce rate: 9% within 10 years
- Women aged 25-39: highest divorce initiation at 70%
- Men with higher income less likely to divorce: 30% lower rate
- Divorce rate highest for ages 45-54: 21 divorces per 1,000 married
- Under 25 marriages: 60% divorce rate
- 40-50 year olds: divorce rate 14.9 per 1,000
- Rural areas divorce rate 27% higher than urban
- Evangelical Protestants: 28% divorce rate vs 24% mainline
- Catholics: 19% divorce rate among adherents
- Unaffiliated: 11% divorce rate, lowest among religious groups
- Same-sex female couples: 1% annual divorce rate vs 0.9% male
- Interracial marriages: 41% divorce rate vs 31% same-race
- Military marriages: 3% divorce rate annually, higher than civilians
- Low-income households (<$25k): 38% divorce rate
- High-income (>$50k): 30% lower divorce odds
- First-born wives more likely to divorce if husband oldest child
- Obesity increases divorce risk by 37% for women
- Tall men (6ft+): 8% less likely to divorce
- Stay-at-home moms: 40% higher divorce rate
- Dual-income couples: 5% lower divorce risk
- Never married women 30+: divorce risk 5x higher if later marry
- Average age at divorce: 30.5 for women, 32.4 for men in 2022
Demographics Interpretation
While the institution of marriage presents itself as a universal promise, the data reveals it to be a deeply personalized contract whose fine print is written in the invisible ink of age, education, income, religion, race, and even height.
Divorce Rates
- The US crude divorce rate in 2021 was 2.5 divorces per 1,000 total population
- From 2000 to 2021, the US divorce rate declined by 36%, from 4.0 to 2.5 per 1,000 population
- In 2019, there were 746,154 divorces and annulments granted in the US
- The refined divorce rate in the US peaked at 5.3 per 1,000 married women in 1981
- US divorce rates have fallen 18% since 2008, reaching the lowest levels in 50 years by 2022
- In 2020, the divorce rate dropped to 2.3 per 1,000 population amid COVID-19 lockdowns
- Between 2010 and 2020, annual divorces decreased from 877,000 to 630,000
- The US marriage-to-divorce ratio was 2.3:1 in 2021, meaning 2.3 marriages per divorce
- Divorce rates halved from 23 per 1,000 married women in 1979 to 11.4 in 2021
- Provisional 2022 data shows US divorces at 673,989, up slightly from 2021
- From 1990 to 2020, the divorce rate for women aged 15+ fell from 4.7 to 2.7 per 1,000
- US divorces totaled 2.4 million between 2012-2021, averaging 240,000 annually
- The divorce rate among remarriages is 60% higher than first marriages
- Post-1950s, divorce rates rose sharply until the 1980s peak, then stabilized
- In 2018, 14 states reported divorce data to CDC, averaging 2.9 per 1,000
- US divorce filings dropped 13% in 2021 from 2020 levels
- Gray divorce (50+) rates doubled since 1990, from 4.9 to 10.3 per 1,000
- Millennial divorce rate is 30% lower than previous generations at same age
- 42% of first marriages end in divorce within 15 years
- Divorce probability within 10 years is 33% for white couples, 50% for Hispanic
- From 1960-2020, crude divorce rate rose from 2.2 to peak 5.2 in 1981, then fell
- 2021 divorce rate was lowest since 1970 at 2.5 per 1,000
- Divorces per 1,000 married persons: 16.9 in 2019
- US annual divorce rate steady at ~2.4 per 1,000 since 2010
- 689,308 divorces recorded in 2019 across reporting areas
- Divorce rate for second marriages: 67% end within 10 years
- Third marriages divorce rate: 74% failure rate
- Baby Boomer divorce rate at age 50+: 10 per 1,000 married
- Silent Generation divorce rate lower at 5 per 1,000 post-65
- Post-COVID divorce surge in 2022: 8% increase in filings
Divorce Rates Interpretation
Despite the dramatic headlines, America's long-term divorce decline suggests we're either getting better at marriage, more cautious about entering it, or simply too tired from life to file the paperwork.
Duration and Timing
- Median duration of marriage at divorce: 11.9 years in 2021
- 10% of divorces occur within first year of marriage
- 48% of divorces happen in first 10 years
- Peak divorce time: 7.8 years into marriage on average
- Gray divorces (50+) median duration: 18 years
- January-February see 13% spike in divorce filings
- March is peak month for divorce filings annually
- Monday highest day for divorce attorney consultations
- 25% of divorces after 20+ years of marriage
- Second marriages average duration at divorce: 10.2 years
- Couples married 40+ years: 2% divorce annually
- Holiday season delays filings: lowest in November-December
- Average time from filing to finalization: 8 months in US
- Contested divorces average 12-18 months, uncontested 4-6 months
- 30% of marriages dissolve within 10 years, 48% by 20 years
- Young marriages (under 20): 50% divorce within 10 years
- Late marriages (30+): only 25% divorce in 10 years
- Remarriages divorce faster: 50% in 5 years vs 33% first
- Summer months (June-August): 10% fewer filings
- Post-wedding year 1: 20% highest risk period
- Year 4-5: second peak risk at 15%
- After 10 years: divorce risk drops to 5% annually
- 15% of divorces after 25+ years
- Median age first divorce: 27 for women, 30 for men
Duration and Timing Interpretation
It seems the journey of American matrimony is a marathon where most runners hit a wall around mile eight, pause for the holidays, and then a surprising number, having long since lost their pace, finally decide to quit the race altogether around the eighteenth mile.
Economic Impacts
- 50% of divorces cost households $10,000+ in legal fees
- Women experience 27% income drop post-divorce, men 10%
- Child support averages $5,760 annually per custodial parent
- Alimony awarded in 10-15% of divorces, averaging $5,000/month
- Divorce reduces household wealth by 77% on average
- Single mothers post-divorce: 50% live in poverty
- Men's living standards rise 10-15% post-divorce
- Average divorce cost: $7,000-$15,000 for uncontested
- Property division: 50/50 split in 40 states, equitable in 10
- Retirement assets split: 65% of cases involve QDROs
- Post-divorce women work 44% more hours for same income
- Bankruptcy risk triples post-divorce
- Health insurance loss: 25% of divorcing families affected
- Tax filing changes: single status increases taxes by 20% avg
- Housing costs rise 30% for custodial parents post-divorce
- Credit score drops average 100 points post-divorce
- 40% of divorced women remarry within 5 years, facing new costs
- Legal fees for custody battles: $20,000+ average
- Wage garnishment for support: 50% of non-custodial parents
- Long-term alimony: awarded in 3% cases, median $500/month
- Divorce mediation saves 40-60% on attorney fees
- Post-divorce poverty rate: 27% for women vs 11% men
- Asset division disputes: 70% of divorce litigation costs
- Student debt split: 50% in community property states
- 1 in 5 divorced households face foreclosure risk
- Children of divorce: 25% more likely to drop out of college due to costs
- 37% of divorced women report financial hardship lasting 5+ years
- Men pay 97% of alimony in US cases
- 50% of children in divorced families receive no child support
Economic Impacts Interpretation
The data paints a grimly witty picture of divorce as a financial car crash where women are often left with the wreckage, men drive off in a dented but running sedan, and the children are left to pay the tow truck bill.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 2CENSUScensus.govVisit source
- Reference 3IFSTUDIESifstudies.orgVisit source
- Reference 4BGSUbgsu.eduVisit source
- Reference 5GALLUPgallup.comVisit source
- Reference 6BRADLEYbradley.comVisit source
- Reference 7PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 8COURTHOUSENEWScourthousenews.comVisit source
- Reference 9NCBIncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 10MACROTRENDSmacrotrends.netVisit source
- Reference 11FORBESforbes.comVisit source
- Reference 12WF-LAWYERSwf-lawyers.comVisit source
- Reference 13GOTTMANgottman.comVisit source
- Reference 14PSYCHOLOGYTODAYpsychologytoday.comVisit source
- Reference 15AMERICANFAMILYINSURANCEamericanfamilyinsurance.comVisit source
- Reference 16AARPaarp.orgVisit source
- Reference 17MILITARYONESOURCEmilitaryonesource.milVisit source
- Reference 18BUSINESSINSIDERbusinessinsider.comVisit source
- Reference 19ASANETasanet.orgVisit source
- Reference 20LEGALZOOMlegalzoom.comVisit source
- Reference 21BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 22NOLOnolo.comVisit source
- Reference 23DIVORCENETdivorcenet.comVisit source
- Reference 24AMERICANSURVEYCENTERamericansurveycenter.orgVisit source
- Reference 25AAMFTaamft.orgVisit source
- Reference 26ADDICTIONCENTERaddictioncenter.comVisit source
- Reference 27NCADVncadv.orgVisit source
- Reference 28RELATIONSHIP-INSTITUTErelationship-institute.comVisit source
- Reference 29PROTECTYOUNGEYESprotectyoungeyes.comVisit source
- Reference 30WEBMDwebmd.comVisit source
- Reference 31JOURNALSjournals.sagepub.comVisit source
- Reference 32AAFPaafp.orgVisit source
- Reference 33FORYOURMARRIAGEforyourmarriage.orgVisit source
- Reference 34AEAWEBaeaweb.orgVisit source
- Reference 35AMERICANBARamericanbar.orgVisit source
- Reference 36KFFkff.orgVisit source
- Reference 37IRSirs.govVisit source
- Reference 38HUDUSERhuduser.govVisit source
- Reference 39EXPERIANexperian.comVisit source
- Reference 40ACFacf.hhs.govVisit source
- Reference 41JUSTICEjustice.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 42NERDWALLETnerdwallet.comVisit source
- Reference 43CONSUMERFINANCEconsumerfinance.govVisit source
- Reference 44APAapa.orgVisit source
- Reference 45BROOKINGSbrookings.eduVisit source
- Reference 46FATHERSfathers.comVisit source
- Reference 47JAACAPjaacap.orgVisit source
- Reference 48AAMLaaml.orgVisit source