The Effect Of The 2020 Covid
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-21 had a remarkable impact on nearly every aspect of everyday life, including rates of marriage and divorce. Overall, marriage rates dropped significantly in 2020, largely due to pandemic-related lockdowns and restrictions on public gatherings. What’s more, divorce rates also dropped significantly, from .2 to .4 points in most cases, in nearly every country in the world.
For example, Slovenia‘s divorce rate dropped from 1.2 in 2019 to .8 in 2020. Similarly, Hungary dropped from 1.8 to 1.5, Seychelles went from 1.9 to 1.7, and the Dominican Republic plummeted from 2.5 to 1.2. Oddly, Denmark, considered one of the top 10 countries to live in, reversed the trend and saw its divorce rate leap from 1.8 to 2.7 during the 2020 pandemic.
Where Divorce Rates Are Falling
Since 2008, divorce rates have fallen in 48 states, as well as in Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The below map shows by how much divorce rates have fallen, as indicated by a color gradient. Bright orange reflects states like Pennsylvania that saw the smallest drop in divorce rates.
A smaller drop in divorce rates isnt necessarily bad news. Pennsylvania and its Northeast neighbors, for example, already have the lowest divorce rates in the country, and therefore had less room for improvement.
Wyoming and Washington, D.C. , saw the largest drop in divorce rates over a 10-year period. Between 2008 and 2017, Washington, D.C. divorce rates dropped from 3.4% to 1.4% roughly 1.9%. Wyomings divorce rate fell by 1.3% over the same time period, not far ahead of Mississippi, which came in at 0.9%.
On the other end of the spectrum, Arkansas was one of only two states where divorce rates rose, with an increase of 0.1% since 2008. The divorce rate also rose by 0.1% in North Dakota, and stayed the same in South Dakota.
Nevada 45 Divorces Per 1000 People
Like Washington, Nevada is a common property state as well. Stephen Fife, a marriage counselor in southern Nevada, told the Las Vegas Sun that the reason for the high divorce rate in Nevada may be due to “the culture of Las Vegas that has people getting married quickly and not thinking about the probability of long-term success. They are not taking divorce seriously, either.”
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Divorce Rates In America
- The current divorce rate in the US is 2.9 persons per 1,000 people.
- Overall, the rate of divorces in America is falling.
- Divorces amongst people aged 50+ years is rising.
- Fewer couples choose to marry than pre-1990.
- The U.S. divorce rate is amongst one of the highest in the world.
- There are currently over 750,000 divorces in the U.S. each year.
- Most Americans who file for divorce do so between January and March.
Divorce Statistics Republicans Vs Democrats

Crystal Schwanke is a freelance writer with a focus on health and beauty. She graduated from Valdosta State University with a BA in Psychology.
Both sides of the aisle may be surprised to learn statistics behind the family-values oriented Republican party. According to a 2014 report in the American Journal of Sociology, “red” states , have higher divorce rates than “blue” states . The article attributes this difference to earlier marriage and family formation, lower education levels, and lower incomes that are often seen in red states.
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How Often Divorce Takes Place In The Us
11. Every 42 seconds, there is one divorce in America, That equates to 86 divorces per hour, 2,046 divorces per day, 14,364 divorces per week, and 746,971 divorces per year
12. Every 16 seconds, there is a marriage in the U.S. That equates to 230 marriages per hour, 38,762 marriages per week and 2,015,603 per year.
13. There are nearly 3 divorces in the time it takes for a couple to recite their wedding vows .
14. More than 172 divorces occur during your typical romantic comedy movie .
15. 430 divorces happen during the average wedding reception .
16. There are 5,975,768 divorces over the course of an average first marriage that ends in divorce .
17. Over a 40 year period, 67 percent of first marriages terminate.
18. Among all Americans 18 years of age or older, whether they have been married or not, 25 percent have gone through a marital split.
19. 15 percent of adult women in the United States are divorced or separated today, compared with less than one percent in 1920.
20. The average first marriage that ends in divorce lasts about 8 years.
Falling Divorce Rate Since 1991 Is Linked To The Aging Of The Married Population
The decrease in the number of divorces over the last three decades has occurred despite growth in the population at risk of divorce, that is, married persons. As a result, the divorce ratewhich corresponds to the number of persons who divorce per 1,000 married personsdecreased from 12.7 per 1,000 in 1991 to 7.5 per 1,000 in 2019, and fell further to 5.6 per 1,000 in 2020.
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Divorce Rates By State: 2019
1Excludes data for California, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, and New Mexico.
National Vital Statistics System.
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The 11 States With The Highest Divorce Rates
Divorce rates have been gradually declining in America over the last decade or so. Some experts attribute this downturn to Millinials and Generation Z holding off on marriage until theyve achieved financial independence while others suspect the decline has more to do with a western emphasis on female autonomy.
Only time will reveal any additional factors but as it stands, U.S divorce rates have decreased by nearly 20% between the years 2009 and 2018.
This new data comes from researchers over at QuoteWizard.com, who recently commissioned a survey in order to determine which states enjoy the largest dips in divorce rates.
Around the country marriage is on the decline. Marriage rates are also outpaced by the divorce rate. Less people are getting married over the last 10 years and therefore less people are getting divorced. However, with a decline in the divorce rate outpacing the marriage rate you could assume more married couples are sticking together. Chivalry isnt dead after all.
The new exhaustive report gives us some interesting things to chew on just ahead of Valentines day weekend.
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Your Finances And Their Effect On Divorce Rates
83. An annual income of over $50,000 can decrease the risk of divorce by as much as 30% versus those with an income of under $25k.
84. Feeling that ones spouse spent money foolishly increased the likelihood of divorce 45 percent for both men and women.
85. Couples that argue about finances at least once a week are 30 more likely to get divorced.
86. The same study also found that couples with no assets at the beginning of a three-year period are 70 percent more likely to divorce by the end of that period than couples with $10,000 in assets.
Divorce Child Support And Child Custody
94. Forty-three percent of children in the United States are being raised without their fathers.
95. When the parents are happily married, the risk of divorce of their children decreases by 14 percent.
96. 90% of divorced mothers have custody of their children.
97. Over 79 percent of custodial mothers receive a child support award, while just under 30 percent of custodial fathers receive one.
98. 65% of divorced mothers receive no child support.
99. Over 46 percent of non-custodial mothers completely default on child support, compared to only 27 percent of non-custodial fathers.
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Towns With The Highest Divorce Rates In America
Amber is Managing Editor for DatingNews. She has written more than 1,600 articles about dating experts, dating advice, and dating news. When she’s not writing copy, you can probably find her at the dog park with a book in hand.
Edited by: Lillian Guevara-Castro
Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingNews articles and reports have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement.
American millennials have taken the blame for everything from rising avocado prices to a . Apparently, theyve even ruined divorce. In a strangely accusatory article, Bloomberg attributed the plummeting divorce rate in the U.S. to millennials. Many in this generation are waiting until theyre over 30 to get married, so their marriages are less likely to end in divorce.
Kids today with their serious commitments and their solid relationship-building skills. Dont worry, though Americas long-held tradition of splitting up and remarrying and splitting up again is alive and well in many parts of the country. American married couples currently have a 39% chance of divorcing, down from about 50% in the 1980s, yet many impoverished areas have significantly higher divorce rates than the rest of the country.
The following 20 towns have the highest divorce rates in the U.S. These micropolitan statistical areas have populations between 10,000 and 70,000, and an above-average number of divorcees.
Divorce Statistics Reflect Only Part Of All Union Dissolutions

A divorce is a legal process that ends a marriage. Therefore, divorce statistics do not cover the separations of married couples nor the dissolutions of common-law couples.
Most married couples separate before filing for divorce, and some separated couples may never legally divorce. Moreover, since the share of common-law couplesfor whom divorce does not applyhas increased from 6% of all couples in Canada in 1981 to 21% in 2016, divorce statistics increasingly underestimate total conjugal instability. This is particularly true in Quebec and the territories, where common-law unions are more prevalent.
Although divorce statistics do not reflect all union dissolutions, they provide valuable information on the state of marriage as an institution in Canada. They are also the only annual statistics available on union dissolutions, since no official record is kept of the separation of married or common-law couples.
The 2017 General Social Survey on the family provides the most recent survey-based information on the separation of married and common-law couples.
The 2021 Census of Population will provide statistical information on the number of Canadians currently divorced, separated, married or living common law.
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See How Marriage And Divorce Rates In Your State Stack Up
Both marriage and divorce rates in the United States declined from 2009 to 2019 but rates vary from state to state.
In 2019, there were 16.3 new marriages for every 1,000 women age 15 and over in the United States, down from 17.6 in 2009.
At the same time, the U.S. divorce rate fell from 9.7 new divorces per 1,000 women age 15 and over in 2009 to 7.6 in 2019.
How do the marriage and divorce rates in your state compare to the national average?
How do the marriage and divorce rates in your state compare to the national average? How do they stack up to those in other states?
Now, an updated U.S. Census Bureau visualization allows you to rank and compare. It shows state-by-state marriage and divorce rates using data from the 2009 and 2019 American Community Survey 1-year estimates.
In 2019:
- Wyoming’s marriage rate was among the highest in the nation.
- Delaware’s marriage rate was among the lowest.
- Arkansas’ divorce rate was among the highest.
- Divorce rates in the District of Columbia and Maine were among the lowest in the nation.
Navigate to the map in the visualization below using the button that says Click Here to View State-Level Maps of Marriage and Divorce Rates in 2019 and hover over each state to see how it compares to the national average.
Check out the state rankings table using the button that says Click Here to View Ten-Year Comparisons and Rankings of Marriage and Divorce Rates by State to see how your state compared to other states in 2009 and 2019.
Things To Consider For Health Insurance When Getting Married Or Divorced
When getting married, you and your spouse will have the choice to pick a health plan that is available to each of you. For instance, if you both have employer-sponsored health plans, you can choose to select a single plan with the best benefits. The same would apply to a public or private health insurance plan. It will typically make the most sense to each join the same plan, as opposed to having separate plans.
After a divorce, one spouse will likely want to stop being a dependent on the shared health insurance plan. In that case, there are a few options for the spouse leaving the shared plan.
- Enroll in your workplace plan: A life event like divorce will qualify you to enroll outside of enrollment periods.
- Continue coverage with your spouse’s insurance company with COBRA. A COBRA plan will allow you to keep the same health care coverage in the event that you are no longer with your partner.
- Get a plan through healthcare.gov.
- Seek a private insurance plan.
- Check to see if you qualify for Medicaid or Medicare.
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The Most Divorced States In America
- Publish date: Nov 16, 2014 11:52 AM EST
Looking for a long-lasting marriage? Avoid living in these 10 states with the highest percentage of divorces.
NEW YORK — Not every marriage is perfect, everyone knows that. According to the American Psychological Association, about 40% to 50% of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. While that sounds like a lot, it doesn’t mean that almost half of the country is divorced, or that the number of divorces is spread evenly across the country.
It’s difficult to find a pattern in divorce rates across the country. Thanks to a 2012 report from the U.S. Census and data aggregation by Bloomberg we are able to say which states have higher divorce rates than others. These states are spread across the country, making it tough to say that people living in a particular region are more likely than others to be divorced.
This list reflects the 10 states with the highest percentage of divorced people aged 15 and older.
So if you’re looking to find other divorcees you might want to look into moving to these states. Or you might want to avoid them if you think higher divorce rates are bad luck for your own marriage.
10. Tennessee
How Does Age At Marriage Impact The Likelihood Of Divorce
In general, the younger one is when they get married, the more likely they are to ultimately get divorced.32 The average age of divorcing couples in America is about 30 years old, with divorcing women skewing a little bit younger than divorcing men.33
According to the most recent estimates, the average age of those getting married for the first time is 27.4 for women, and 29.5 for men.34
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Us States With The Highest Divorce Rates
Divorce refers to the act of legally ending a marriage. In some countries, such as Russia, which has the world’s highest divorce rate, 5 in every 1,000 couples get divorced. Below is an overview of the US states with the highest divorce rates.
Data from 2016 shows that Oklahoma is the state with the most divorces in the US. According to the data, every 4.4 people in 1,000 people end up divorcing their spouse. Nevada is in the second place with 4.3 while Wyoming is third with a rate of 4.2 people per every 1,000. The state of Texas is tied in the third position with the state of Wyoming. In the fifth position is Idaho with a rate of 4.0. Alabama is last on this list with 3.8. Even as a whole, the United States has some of the highest divorce rates in the world.
States With The Highest And Lowest Divorce Rates
Since workers at casinos and in gambling-related jobs rank at or near the top of the most divorce-prone employees, it should be no surprise that this is reflected geographically.
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Nevada, the gambling capital of the U.S., ranked at the top of the list for divorce at 4.2 divorces per 1,000 people in 2019.
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Nevada, like neighboring California, is a no-fault divorce state, so people who want to get a divorce dont need to provide a reason for doing so.
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Nevada also led the nation in marriages. The idea of heading to Las Vegas to elope isnt just a cliché. You can get married in Nevada on the spur of the moment because you can start the ceremony immediately after obtaining a license.
States With The Highest Divorce Rates
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Divorce Statistics By State
By comparing the 2015 numbers in a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that lists divorce rates by state, with NPR’s list that shows how states voted, it becomes evident that the states with the top five highest divorce rates were mostly Republican, while the states with the lowest number of divorces were almost evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats.
States With The Highest Numbers Of Marriages And Divorces

The number of people getting married and divorced in each state is remarkably consistent nationwide. We found that the percentage of people who are married, divorced or never got married, rarely varies by more than 10 percentage points.
- New York, California and Massachusetts have the highest percentages of people who never married.
- Idaho, Utah and Wyoming have the highest percentages of people who are married.
- West Virginia, Maine and Nevada have the highest percentages of people who are divorced.
State | |
---|---|
49% | 11% |
Americans marital status may be quite consistent across state lines, but the rate at which relationships are changing is not. Theres also a significant difference between each state’s current marriage and divorce rates and what they were in 2009.
We found that the marriage rate has dropped by as much as 70% in some states over the last decade. The divorce rate meanwhile, has declined by as much as 60%. Only four states have seen an increase in divorces since 2009.
State | % change in marriage rate since 2009 | % change in divorce rate since 2009 |
---|---|---|
Alabama | ||
-21% |
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