Historical Divorce Rate Statistics

Looking at historical divorce rate statistics is a very interesting exercise. Please continue reading to learn more.

Divorce rates change over time.

In the early part of United States history, there weren't any divorces, simply because there was no legal way that a couple could end their marriage. In 1701, couples in Maryland were given the right to divorce. If you happened to live in South Carolina, you would have to wait until 1949 to be able to do so.

According to statistics gathered by the US Census Bureau, in 1900 the rate of divorce for males was 84 per 100,000 and 114 per 100,000 for women. The rate grew steadily as the 20th century went on, and during the Great Depression of the 1930s, it was sitting at 489 per 100,000 for men and 572 per 100,000 for women.

After World War II, the divorce rate continued to increase. In 1950, the rate was sitting at 1,070 per 100,000 for men and 1,373 per 100,000 for women. Historical divorce rate statistics continued to rise steadily, and the numbers took a big jump in the 1970s. This may have been due to the fact that the Seventies were the decade when no-fault divorce was first made available.

Before that point, anyone who wanted to end their marriage was going to have to prove allegations of adultery or cruelty. Being able to get a divorce based on the fact that the marriage had broken down or irreconcilable differences may have been a factor in the increase in divorce rates during this decade. By 1980, divorce rates for men had grown to 4,539 per 100,000 for males and 6,577 per 100,000 for females.

According to the most recent statistics gathered by the US Census Bureau (2000), the divorce rate for men was 9,255 per 100,000 and 12,305 per 100,000 for women.

In Canada, divorce was not a common occurrence until after the end of the Second World War. According to figures collected by Statistics Canada, the divorce rate in 1921 was 6.4 per 100,000 people. This rate did continue to rise through the subsequent decades, despite the fact that until 1968, the only way that a couple could get a divorce was to make an application to the Senate. After an investigation, if the case had merit, a special Act of Parliament was needed to end the marriage.

In 1968, the Divorce Act came into effect. Couples could be granted a divorce on the grounds of adultery, cruelty, desertion, imprisonment, or separation for three years. As a result, the divorce rate increased to 54.8 per 100,000. Another big jump in the divorce rate occurred in 1985, when divorce laws were amended again. At that point, the Act was changed to allow couples to divorce after being separated for one year.

Divorce rates in 1985 were 253.6 per 100,000 people. The peak year as far as divorce rates in Canada is concerned was 1987, when the rate was 362.3 per 100,000. By 1995, the rate had dropped to 262.2 per 100,000.

As divorce became more acceptable over time and it was easier to get, it stands to reason that the rates would increase. This trend doesn't show any sign of reversing over time.

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