U.S. divorce rates continue to decline, analysis shows

The rate peaked at 22.6 divorces per 1,000 married women around 1980 but dropped to 14.4 divorces by 2023. The Pew Research Center on Thursday published a new analysis of federal data. Researchers pointed to changes in who was more likely to get married as one reason for the decline. Over time, adults with higher levels of education were more likely to get married than those with lower levels of education. About a quarter of those who experienced a divorce had at least a bachelor’s degree, while well over a third had a high school degree or less.

While the overall divorce rate dropped, some demographic groups had little change in recent years. The rates of divorce among adults aged 50 and older remained essentially stable from 2008-2023.

What else did the report find? The majority of divorces occurred within the first 10 years of marriage, according to the data. The median duration of a marriage ending in divorce was just 12 years. While one-third of Americans reported their first marriage ended in divorce, about two-thirds of those who had been divorced went on to remarry. Meanwhile, divorced adults reported lower household incomes and less wealth than married couples, and divorced men were less likely than married men to be employed.

Dig deeper: Read David Mitzenmacher’s opinion piece about why marriage and family life are good for women.