Divorce Rates
From LoveToKnow Divorce
Divorce rates are often quoted as one of the downfalls of the American public. Our “rapidly growing” rates seem to be mentioned almost every time the media has a new report on divorce. But, is the divorce “crisis” as bad as the experts make it seem? Very likely, it is not.
Divorce Rates: Calculation
No doubt that divorce rates have risen in the United States since the 1950s. In fact, it seems every expert claims that rates are now near a record-breaking 50 percent for all marriages.
Is this true? If you look at the statistics, it seems to be. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there were 7.9 marriages per 1,000 people in 2003. The divorce rate is cited at 3.9. At first glance, it looks like a simple 50 percent rate, just like many experts have quoted. But, as many researchers point out, the 3.8 divorcing are not the same people the 7.9 marrying; this statistic includes those who are married before year, making the percentage much lower.
Experts claim that the rate is probably closer to around 40 percent, although some say that it is close enough to 50 percent. Certain groups may reach the 50 percent rate, though time will tell.
To support the claim that rates are much smaller than 50 percent, look at the numbers cited by the United States Census. The number of men and women over age of 15 was approximately 224,939,628. Of those, almost 225 million people, around 121 million are married (and not separated). While the numbers for divorced people is almost 23 million people. Of course, this does not take into account how many people in the married set have been divorced previously. Despite the fact that a high percentage of people seem to get divorced, they have not lost faith in marriage. Many eventually remarry.
According to numbers gathered by DivorceMag.com, the old Hollywood adage “Seven-Year Itch” holds true. For both first and second marriages, divorce seems to occur around the seventh year. However, this is the only divorce rate that is similar for these groups. Second marriages have a much higher rate of divorce, almost 60 percent in 1997.
Who Gets Divorced?
People who tend to have higher divorce rates include:
- Lower socio-economic status
- Low household income
- Young age at time of marriage
- Parents who are divorced
Of course, any from that group can stay married and not get divorced. Having those factors or a combination of those factors could simply mean a higher chance of getting divorced at some point in life.
Surprisingly, a trend for higher rates has been noticed in the Southern “Bible Belt” of the United States. In 1998, the Southern states, with the exception of only one state, had almost double the divorce rates as those of Northern states.
Besides the factors listed above, a contribution to the higher divorce rate may be religion. Southern states tend to have fundamentalist Protestants, who tend to be more accepting of divorce than Northern Roman Catholics.
Not surprisingly, Nevada also has one of the highest divorce rates. However, this tends to follow with a high number of “quickie” marriages for which Las Vegas is famous.
Controversy and Pop Culture Beliefs Regarding Divorce
Of course, every survey or poll done has margins of error. Some studies may be biased to reflect the researchers’ theories, or simply be worded so that they are misunderstood. Other times, numbers have simply caught on and been quoted so often they are simply understood to be part of the American culture —- like the idea that half of all marriages end in divorce (even though it is closer to 40 percent).
Although the “Seven-Year Itch” stands true, other places cite statistics that show around two to four years seem to be the most crucial time for couples to get divorced. This may have to do with how studies are run, or how numbers are gathered. Whenever looking at divorce rates, be sure to understand how the numbers were figured.
Despite popular belief, living together also does not promote a happy, healthy marriage. The Centers for Disease Control has found that there is only a 20 percent chance that first marriages end in divorce within five years, but chances of a co-habiting couple separating is 49 percent. This seems to fly directly in the face of the many people who think of living together as a good “trial run” for marriage.
Divorce rates are high in the twenty-first century. However, just because someone quotes a statistic does not mean it holds true. Find out the facts before resigning yourself to the dismal outlook of marriage today.
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