When it comes to divorce, everyone knows at least one person that has been through the legal process. The term divorce refers to a court procedure in which the legal marriage between two parties is dissolved. Importantly, each state has their own specific laws regarding divorce. As such, each state will also have their own procedures for divorce.
When it comes to tracking trends with regards to marriages, the statistics are often hard to properly track. This is because there are numerous different data collectors and many divorce or annulments are not reported.
The following article explores key divorce facts and statistics, as well as provides analysis regarding trends.
What Are the Divorce Rates Around the World?
It is important to first note that marriage as a social institution has been around for thousands of years. With that being said marriage itself has evolved throughout the years. One of the evolutions of marriage is that marriages themselves are becoming less common throughout the world.
In fact, not only are marriages becoming less common, the people who are getting married are often getting married later in life. Further, in many countries there is an increased trend of unmarried couples choosing to live together, without choosing to be married.
As mentioned above, there are numerous data collectors and studies that attempt to track divorce rates not only in the United States, but around the world. According to a sociology study conducted by the University of California, the average divorce rate across all years and regions is approximately 4.08 divorces per 1,000 married people.
Importantly, this statistic is known as the crude divorce rate. The crude divorce rates provide a rate that tracks the number of divorces for every 1,000 people in the population.
The above statistic takes into account all years of marriage, as well as all of the regions. Exact divorce rates ranged from lows of .45 and .46 for Sri Lanka and Peru to highs of 19.01 in Kazakhstan, 11.49 in Russia, and 11.03 in Cuba. As such, divorce rates will vary significantly by country.
There are no real accurate studies that can track the most asked for statistics, the proportion of marriages that will end in divorce. There are numerous studies that throw out percentage statistics, such as half of all marriages end in divorce, etc. However, there is no one way to measure the divorce rate.
What Are the Divorce Rates in the United States?
Once again, there is no one statistic that measures the divorce rate. As such, the divorce rates in the United States will depend on the study itself. One study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Census provided that in 2022, there were 673,989 divorces and annulments across the 45 United States.
Further, during 2022 there were also 2,065,905 marriages that occurred. This resulted in a marriage rate of 6.2 per 1,000 people. However, contrary to the popular belief that half of all marriages end in divorce in the United States, the study showed that 43% of first marriages are dissolved.
However, when it comes to subsequent marriages, second marriages have a higher failure rate, with 60% ending in divorce. Third marriages also face a higher failure rate, with 73% ending in divorce. Further, the average length of a marriage is 8 years in the United States.
As far as other trends, the American Community Survey provided data that revealed a continuing and dramatic increase in the risk of divorce since 1990. This rise in the divorce rate is especially striking among older adults aged 55 to 64. According to that study the divorce rate has quadrupled over the past three decades.
It is important to note that there was also a spike in divorces filed in 2021 as the covid-19 pandemic restrictions slowed down. As such, the spike in divorce post 2021 was largely due to the ease in restrictions on being able to once again file for divorce.
As far as the divorce process itself, the average time that a contested divorce takes to finalize is about a year in length. When it comes to uncontested divorce, the process takes around 3 months on average to finalize.
As far as remarriage, there is a trend that fewer people are remarrying after divorce as compared to the past. As far as the cost, the average cost of a divorce is $7,000 in the United States, but that will depend on a variety of different factors.
Which Sex Files for Divorce More?
Once again, there is no one study or answer regarding which gender files for divorce more often. According to a presentation given to the American Sociological Association, researchers report that women are more likely than men to ask for divorce.
The study titled “How Couples Meet and Stay Together”, collected data from 2,262 adults with opposite sex partners which answered questions about their relationship status between 2009 and 2015. In that study, women initiated 69% of divorces, compared to 31% of men. However, if men and women lived together unmarried, each gender was equally likely to initiate a breakup.
How Does Age Affect Divorce Rates?
When it comes to divorce rate statistics, studies suggest that the divorce rate has declined among adults in their 20s and 30s. As mentioned above, the rate among adults age 50 and older has surged upward. Studies revealed that in 1990, 8.7% of all divorces in the United States occurred among adults 50 and older. Then, by 2019, the percentage had grown to 36%.
When it comes to the impact of an age gap on the divorce rate, studies suggest that a larger age gap between spouses does increase the risk of divorce. For instance, a 5-year age gap results in an 18% higher chance of divorce. In comparison a 1-year age gap results in a 3% higher chance. It is also important to note that the median age for people entering their first divorce has increased in recent decades.
How Does Education Affect Divorce Rates?
Studies suggest that women with a graduate or professional degree have the highest median age when getting divorced for the first time at 42.5 years. In contrast, women with no degree or some college have the youngest median age of divorce at 36.9 years on average.
When it comes to men, men with graduate or professional degrees have the oldest median age of divorce at 44.5 years. In contrast, men with an associate degree or less in schooling have the youngest median age of divorce at 40.2 years on average.
How Do Other Factors Affect Divorce Rates?
Other facts may also impact the divorce rate, such as culture, religion, or even social media presence. The percentages of divorced members within various religions are as follows include statistics including:
- Evangelical Protestant: 14 percent divorce rate
- Orthodox Christian: 9 percent divorce rate
- Catholic: 12 percent divorce rate
- Jehovah’s Witness: 12 percent divorce rate
- Buddhist: 10 percent divorce rate
- Jewish: 9 percent divorce rate
- Muslim: 8 percent divorce rate
- Mormon: 7 percent divorce rate
- Hindu: at the lowest 5 percent divorce rate
As can be seen, shared values and beliefs and the support provided by religious communities often contribute to lower divorce rates among couples.
As far as social media, a study published in Computers in Human Behavior found that social media use was linked to decreased marriage quality. That study revealed that people who don’t use social media tend to be 11% happier in their marriages. In fact, studies also show that over 80% of divorce attorneys report an increase in cases citing social media evidence as the reason for divorce.
Do I Need an Attorney for Help With the Divorce Process?
As can be seen, there are many reasons that may contribute to a divorce occurring. As such, if you are thinking about getting a divorce, or if you have been served with divorce paperwork, it is in your best interests to consult with an experienced divorce lawyer immediately.
LegalMatch can assist you in setting up an initial consultation with a family lawyer in your area. An experienced family law attorney will be able to help you determine your best course of legal action, and ensure that your rights are protected throughout the entirety of the divorce proceedings.
Additionally, an attorney will also be able to ensure that you have full access to all of the documentation necessary to make informed decisions regarding the divorce and division of your marital assets. They can also represent you at any temporary or preliminary hearings. Finally, a divorce lawyer will also be able to assist you during a final hearing in front of the judge or jury, if necessary.
