Divorces rank high on the stress scale of one’s life. They were proven to affect both the mental and physical health of those who experience them. Since last year’s events didn’t do much except pile up stress and further strain relationships, 2021 makes it harder than ever to have a ‘’happily ever after.’’
It is a sensitive topic, and a decision that should be made with a lot of consideration. So, let’s look into different divorce statistics to discover how it works, why people choose to end their relationships, and how probable it is to happen in the first place.
Top 10 Divorce Stats to Keep in Mind
- The average divorce rate in the world is estimated to be 4.08 divorces per 1,000 married persons.
- Almost 45% of first marriages in the US end in divorce.
- Divorce rates on second marriage show that the average duration of a second marriage is 7.3 years for men and 6.8 years for women.
- Guatemala has the lowest divorce rate in the world.
- The Philippines and the Vatican are the only two countries where divorce is illegal.
- The average age for couples that get divorced for the first time is 30, according to the divorce statistics by age.
- The average cost of a divorce in the US is $15,000 per person.
- 76% of Americans believe that getting a divorce is morally acceptable.
- The average time to remarry after divorce is 3 years.
- One in three divorces starts as an online affair.
World Divorce Statistics to Get You Started
It is not easy to preserve a marriage, and this is true in every corner of the world. Love, respect and mutual efforts take a long time to build. However, there seem to be minor cultural nuisances. Here are some worldwide divorce trends:
1. The average divorce rate in the world is estimated to be 4.08 divorces per 1,000 married persons.
(Psychology Today)
What is the divorce rate in the world? In 1970, there were 2.6 divorces per 1,000 married people, while in 2008 the rate jumped to 5.5 divorces.
According to a 2018 study, divorce rates are high in Northern and Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Rates for Southern Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as well as Eastern Asia and the Pacific, are fairly low, whereas rates for the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Northern African nations vary from country to country.
2. Stats on divorce show that Russia has the highest divorce rate in the world.
(World in Figures)
Although it is difficult to estimate the accurate divorce rate without relevant Census data, analysis places Russia at the top of the list with 4.7 divorces per 1,000 of the population. Guam takes second place with 4.2, and Moldova is third with 3.7 divorces per 1,000 population.
3. Guatemala has the lowest divorce rate in the world.
(World in Figures)
With 0.4 divorces per 1,000 population, Guatemala is tied with Qatar as the country with the lowest number of divorces. Peru and Bosnia and Herzegovina round off the top three with divorce rates of 0.5 and 0.6, respectively.
4. Divorce statistics in the UK show an increase in the number of divorces among same-sex couples.
(Office for National Statistics)
There were 428 divorces among same-sex couples in the UK, up from 338 from the previous year. Three-quarters of these were lesbian couples. Unreasonable behavior was cited as the most common reason for divorce among both opposite and same-sex couples.
5. The Philippines and the Vatican are the only two countries where divorce is illegal.
(Worthy.com)
According to divorce facts, only Muslims can get divorced in the Philippines. Other marriages may end through a civil annulment, an expensive and complicated process. Vatican City, being a Catholic-run state does not allow divorces, although in some cases it permits annulments to take place.
6. The longest marriage is 77 years long and is recorded in Italy.
(Fascinate)
A husband and wife in Italy became the oldest couple to get divorced in 2011 when the 99-year old husband found out his 96-year old wife had had an affair in the 1940s.
7. 80% of people who divorce because of an affair regret their decision.
(Katie Crow Law, MyDomaine)
According to a UK survey on regretting divorce statistics, 54% of respondents said that they had second thoughts after their divorce, and 42% thought about giving their marriage another try.
8. Happiness after divorce statistics show that men suffer more after a divorce.
(Hampton Roads Legal Services, Metro.co.uk)
Divorced men are eight times more likely to commit suicide and twice as likely to suffer from depression and heart attacks. On the other hand, 53% of women are much happier after a divorce as opposed to 32% of male respondents saying the same.
Divorce Statistics in the US
Hollywood makes you think that anything’s possible if you just love enough. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. As we are entering 2021, we are facing a fragile economy, unstable jobs, and pandemic-related stress.
All of this affects the American average marriage length in unexpected ways. Read on and discover how many people file for divorce during the pandemic and what are the factors which influence American marriages.
9. Divorce rates in the US indicate 2.9 divorces per 1,000 population.
(CDC)
This translates to 787,251 divorces in 2018 alone. What about marriage statistics in the US? In 2018, there were 2,236,496 marriages — a rate of 6.9 per 1,000 total population. This, however, is according to data compiled from just 44 states, including DC, and represents a crude divorce and marriage rate in the US and not an accurate number.
10. Nearly half of all marriages in the US end in divorce or separation.
(Wilkinson & Finkbeiner)
What percentage of marriages end in divorce? Nearly half of them; this includes first and subsequent marriages, as well as separations. Also, keep in mind that while separations are temporary, divorces are final. In fact, the divorce definition says that divorce is the formal and official ending of a marriage. So, no take-backs.
11. Almost 45% of first marriages in the US end in divorce.
(McKinley Irvin)
What is the actual divorce rate in the United States? Estimates put the actual divorce rate between 42–45%. Besides, 60% of second marriages and 73% of third marriages are also dissolved. Look at it like this: 22% of adult women and 21% of men in the US have gone through one divorce in their lifetime. No wonder young couples are reluctant to get hitched!
12. The divorce rate was highest in the US in 1979.
(Wall Street Journal)
Back then, 22.6 marriages per 1,000 ended in divorce. In 2017, the rate plummeted to just 16.1 divorces per 1,000 marriages — the lowest rate recorded in 40 years.
13. Divorce statistics in America reveal the biggest decrease in divorce rates among 15 to 24 year-olds.
(Wall Street Journal)
From 1990 to 2017, the divorce rate for this age group dropped by 43%, i.e., from 47 divorces per 1,000 marriages in 1990 to 27 divorces (per 1,000 marriages) in 2017.
The divorce rate also dropped from a whopping 33 divorces per 1,000 marriages to 23 (per 1,000 marriages) from 1990 to 2017 for 25- to 34-year-olds.
Moreover, 35- to 44-year-olds, and 45- to 54-year-olds did not witness any significant changes in divorce rates.
14. Arkansas has the highest divorce rates in the US.
(US News)
With 17.14 per 1,000 people getting divorced in the state, Arkansas is ranked number one in terms of the number of divorces. It is closely followed by Alabama and Kentucky (15.15 and 14.99, respectively).
Divorce is less common in states that have lower marriage rates. For instance, less than 65% of people in New York and Illinois are married, marriage and divorce statistics show why these states also have some of the lowest divorce rates.
On the other hand, in Idaho and Arkansas, where over 72% of adults are married, the number of divorces is also higher.
15. Couples in the US wait longer to get married.
(Time)
The average marriage age in the US is 30 (for men) and 28 (for women). However, this does not mean that Americans are committed to the single lifestyle. In 2018, more couples under the age of 25 lived with their partner (9% compared to just 5% 20 years ago), statistics on divorce, marriage, and cohabitation reveal.
16. Financial security is one of the reasons why people postpone marriage.
(Time, The World Economic Forum)
16% of cohabiting couples live below the poverty line as opposed to 8% of married couples. These statistics seem to suggest that young couples are less likely to get married until they have some financial stability in their lives.
Overall, couples who are older, well-off, and highly educated are more likely to tie the knot. Divorce statistics confirm this as US adults getting married in their late 20s have less than a 50% chance of getting divorced.
17. 76% of Americans believe that getting a divorce is morally acceptable.
(Statista)
20%, on the other hand, think that it is morally wrong to get a divorce; another 3% of respondents said that it depends on the situation.
18. The average cost of a divorce in the US is $15,000 per person.
(TheStreet.com)
This covers lawyer fees, court costs, and the cost of hiring experts in the area of taxes, child custody, and/or real estate appraiser. The time it takes to finalize the divorce also affects the cost. The average divorce in the US takes somewhere between 4–11 months. Sometimes it can take over a year.
19. According to interracial divorce statistics, 41% of interracial married couples are more likely to get divorced as opposed to 31% of same-race marriages.
(DivorceSource)
Divorce rates for interracial marriages may be higher, however, stats indicate that marriage rates for interracial marriages are also on the rise in the US. A record of 1 in 12 marriages (or 4.8 million) is between spouses of different races.
20. Official divorce statistics show that only two US Presidents have ever been divorced.
(Hampton Roads Legal Services, Elite Daily)
Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump are the only 2 US Presidents who are divorced (Trump being the only US President who has been divorced more than once). Both are Republicans, although in all fairness Reagan was a Democrat at the time of his divorce.
Speaking of political parties, spouses who live in Republican states have a 27% higher chance of getting divorced than couples who live in Democratic states.
Second Marriage Divorce Statistics
Apparently, marriage is not something you can perfect over time. Quite the contrary — the more you marry, the higher are the chances you will divorce. If you’re getting ready to say ‘’Yes’’ for the second time, here is what you should know about divorce prospects in second marriages.
21. Divorce rates on second marriage show that the average duration of a second marriage is 7.3 years for men and 6.8 years for women.
(Gardner & Lewis, Wilkinson & Finkbeiner)
The average length of marriage before divorce is 8 years, while the average length of a second marriage is shorter. For men, the average marriage length (ending in divorce) is 7.8 years and 7.9 years for women.
22. The divorce rate for baby boomers who remarry is twice as high as the ones who have been married only once.
(Pew Research Center)
When second marriages of baby boomers are concerned, 16 per 1,000 marriages end in divorce, while only 8 first marriages (per 1,000 marriages) for adults aged 50+ dissolve.
Statistics on divorce indicate that from all the boomers who got a divorce in 2015, as many as 48% had been in a second or third marriage.
23. The average time to remarry after divorce is 3 years.
(McKinley Irvin, Hampton Roads Legal Services)
After a divorce, women wait around 3.1 years to remarry, while men wait an average of 3.3 years. Around 3 out of every 4 divorced people get remarried, whereas 6% of divorced couples remarry each other.
Divorce Percentages — Who Is Getting Divorced?
People will always rush to tell you that there is a 50-50% chance you will get divorced. Either you will or you won’t. But this isn’t how statistics work. It turns out age, education, cultural background, and even profession all influence this, and we are decisive to find out how.
24. The average age for couples that get divorced for the first time is 30, according to the divorce statistics by age.
(Wilkinson & Finkbeiner)
More couples are opting to live together before tying the knot in 2021. Although 60% of couples who live together end up getting married, cohabiting before marriage increases the likelihood of divorce by as much as 40%.
The majority of people (60%) who get divorced in the US are between the ages of 25 and 39.
25. People who have attended college are 13% less likely to get divorced, statistics on divorces reveal.
(Wilkinson & Finkbeiner)
On the other hand, high school dropouts are 13% more likely to get divorced. People with “below average” IQ are 50% more at risk of getting divorced than people with “above average” IQs.
26. The average marriage length can depend on the profession of spouses.
(FactRetriever)
With a divorce rate of 43.1%, dancers and choreographers are the most likely candidates for divorce. They are followed by bartenders with a divorce rate of 38.4% and massage therapists with 38.2%. According to divorce statistics in the US, other jobs with a high risk of divorce include casino workers, nurses, and home health aides.
27. 70% of Asian women in the US have never been divorced, divorce statistics by gender show.
(Hampton Roads Legal Services)
The situation is quite different for other races: 54% of white women, 53% of Hispanic women, and 37% of African-American women have never been divorced.
28. Eating and health habits are frequent reasons for divorce, statistics tell us.
(Hampton Roads Legal Services, Fascinate)
Chances of getting divorced increase if one of the spouses gains more than 20% of their body weight. If one of the spouses smokes, then the likelihood of divorce jumps to 75%. Strangely enough, only 53% of marriages in which both spouses smoke end in divorce.
29. Women diagnosed with cervical cancer are 40% more likely to get divorced.
(Hampton Roads Legal Services)
On the other hand, the likelihood of getting divorced after a man has been diagnosed with testicular cancer is 20%.
30. Marriages in which the wife is older than the husband are 53% more likely to divorce.
(McKinley Irvin, Hampton Roads Legal Services)
Statistics on divorces reveal that other factors that increase the likelihood of divorce are: spending too much on a wedding ring or reception, having family members and friends who are recently divorced, and living in an area with a high concentration of conservative evangelical protestants.
Interestingly, if you have more co-workers from the opposite sex, there is a higher chance of getting divorced.
31. Lack of commitment is the most cited cause of divorce.
(Wilkinson & Finkbeiner)
What is the #1 cause of divorce? 73% of respondents in a national survey said they got a divorce due to a lack of commitment. 56% said they argued too much and 55% cited infidelity as the reason for their divorce. 46% of couples got divorced because they married too young.
Other reasons included: having unrealistic expectations (45%), lack of equality (45%), and domestic violence and abuse (25%).
32. One in three divorces starts as an online affair.
(McKinley Irvin)
One in seven married people has thought about divorce due to their partner’s activity on social media and dating apps. This is expected to get even more drastic in 2021, as this is the year that will reveal the extent of the last year’s consequences.
A quarter of couples said that they argue about Facebook at least once a week, making it one of the most common causes of divorce, statistics reveal.
In fact, Facebook is cited as the number one source for online evidence in divorce cases, with 81% of AAML divorce attorneys using evidence obtained from social media.
Conclusion
We hope these divorce statistics painted a clearer picture or made you feel more informed on the subject. The previous year was stressful for all of us, and we honestly hope 2021 will be better, but it is always useful to have information before you face decision-making time. We hope you won’t need to, though.
Sources:
- CDC
- McKinley Irvin
- Wilkinson & Finkbeiner
- Wall Street Journal
- US News
- Time
- The World Economic Forum
- Statista
- Pew Research Center
- Gardner & Lewis
- Hampton Roads Legal Services
- FactRetriever
- Fascinate
- Statista
- Psychology Today
- Owenby Law
- Freebackgroundchecks.com
- Psychology Today
- World in Figures
- World in Figures
- Office for National Statistics
- Worthy.com
- TheStreet.com
- Katie Crow Law
- MyDomaine
- Metro.co.uk
- The Guardian
- DivorceSource
- Elite Daily
