In 2021, the divorce rate in the United States stood at 2.5 per 1,000 of the population.
Divorce in the U.S.
Divorce is the termination of a marital union. In the United States, as in most other countries, it is a legal process in which a judge or another legal authority dissolves the bonds of matrimony existing between two persons. The process of divorce also normally involves issues surrounding distribution of property, financial support of the former spouse, child custody and child support. A divorce also allows a person to marry again. In the United States divorce is, like marriage, a matter for state governments, not the federal government. Although divorce laws vary from state to state, for example on which terms a divorce can be arranged, a divorce must be certified by a court of law to become effective.
A declining divorce rate
Over the last couple of years both the marriage rate and the divorce rate have been declining in the United States. As of 2009, the average length of a first marriage in the U.S. was eight years. The average age men were at when they went through their first divorce was 32, for women this was 30. The average length of a second marriage was about 10 years.
Divorce rate in the United States from 1990 to 2021
(per 1,000 of population)
Characteristic
Divorce rate per 1,000 of population
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Exclusive Premium Statistic
To access all Premium Statistics, you need a paid Statista Account
Data from 1998 to 2021 excludes a number of states:
1998/1999 excludes data for California, Colorado, Indiana, and Louisiana.
2000/2001 excludes data for California, Indiana, Louisiana, Oklaoma.
2002 excludes data for California, Indiana, Oklahoma.
2003 excludes data for California, Hawaii, Indiana, Oklahoma.
2004 excludes data for California, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana.
2005-2011 excludes data California, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, and Minnesota.
2013-2015 excludes data for California, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, and Minnesota.
2016 excludes data for California, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, and New Mexico
2017-2021 excludes data for California, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, and New Mexico
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
NCHS. (January 26, 2023). Divorce rate in the United States from 1990 to 2021 (per 1,000 of population) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 25, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/195955/divorce-rate-in-the-united-states-since-1990/
NCHS. "Divorce rate in the United States from 1990 to 2021 (per 1,000 of population)." Chart. January 26, 2023. Statista. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/195955/divorce-rate-in-the-united-states-since-1990/
NCHS. (2023). Divorce rate in the United States from 1990 to 2021 (per 1,000 of population). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/195955/divorce-rate-in-the-united-states-since-1990/
NCHS. "Divorce Rate in The United States from 1990 to 2021 (per 1,000 of Population)." Statista, Statista Inc., 26 Jan 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/195955/divorce-rate-in-the-united-states-since-1990/
NCHS, Divorce rate in the United States from 1990 to 2021 (per 1,000 of population) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/195955/divorce-rate-in-the-united-states-since-1990/ (last visited August 25, 2024)
Divorce rate in the United States from 1990 to 2021 (per 1,000 of population) [Graph], NCHS, January 26, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/195955/divorce-rate-in-the-united-states-since-1990/