The perspective of a happy marriage is something every couple strives for. Think about the special moments spent together with the one you love! How the resources and time set aside for your partner made a huge difference in consolidating your relationship. Small signs of affection, silly moments, and symbolic gifts brought joy and happiness in your lives.
While we all picture the ideal marriage scenario in our minds, it doesn’t always reflect reality. The reality shows that many couples start on a high note but things go sideways along the way. If the marriage doesn’t go well, partners end up separating. This is highlighted by the divorce rate statistics in the USA.
For a more up-close look at the divorce situation, we will be analyzing some data and show some statistics related to divorce rates in America. Let’s find out if the divorce rate is increasing overall in the USA.
Marriage statistics
In the United States, there are some obvious racial differences in terms of marriage patterns. A report made in 2006 shows that 67% of Caucasian women would marry between the ages of 25 and 54. On the other hand, only 34% of African American women would marry between the same age range.
There is a clear gap of about 33% in marriage behaviors between the two races and over the years this gap has been increasing. The gap used to be smaller, because back in 1980 there was only a 17% point gap between the two races.
Policymakers see this gap as a serious concern. Early reports see a clear correlation between family structures and social problems such as crime, poverty and other factors. Therefore, African American women are less likely to marry compared to both Hispanic and caucasian women. Also, the tendency is to marry way later than usual. They also have higher rates of marital instability.
This racial gap in marital preferences is important because it affects the dynamic as well as the structure of a family, therefore, it affects the well-being of children. A 2015 report shows that about 55% of African American children lived with a single mother, while about 22% of caucasian children were in the same situation.
The differences in family structure also contribute to the economical differences within a household. In 2006 about 33% of African American children were living below the poverty line compared to only 14% of Caucasian children. Also, some of the neighborhoods are better than others in terms of life quality and job opportunities. That is why you must find top local real estate agents with the necessary skills to guide customers in buying homes in family-friendly neighborhoods that provide good living conditions and education.
The average length of marriage before divorce
On average reports say that a typical U.S marriage lasts for 7 years before a divorce. The Institute for Divorce and Financial Analysts have come up with three main reasons which are the cause for divorce:
- Basic incompatibility
- Infidelity
- Money issues
The financial problem ranks third, and there are a couple of reasons related to money that lead to an increase in divorce rates. Some of them are related to debt, general disagreements in relation to financial goals as well as financial infidelity. Also, attending a divorce implies splitting material things acquired through the relationship in a fair manner. This might include properties too if they were acquired during the relationship. That’s why real estate and divorce can be related and it could lead to major disagreements in the process.
As far as incompatibility goes here this category covers a lot of aspects related to couples. Divorce rates show the highest increase mostly because of incompatibility. In this category, we include couples with different religious or political views that can’t get along because of these reasons. There is also a more superficial line that causes divorce as far as incompatibility goes and this has to do with a habit or a hobby that one spouse can’t look past.
In terms of infidelity, this is very much a definitive aspect that causes divorce. Although many couples might look past it and try to fix the relationship, most of the time it leads to divorce.
The divorce rate in America 2019
While the marriage rate is about 6.9 per 1,000 people, in 2019 the divorce rate in America is about 2.8 per 1,000 population. While it is reported that fourteen states have a divorce rate of about 50 to 60 percent, the divorce rate overall in America is decreasing. Specialists say that it is thanks to millennials and in terms of percentage, the US has seen an 18 percent decrease in divorce rate from 2008 to 2016.
The state with the highest divorce rate is Oklahoma, with about 65 percent of marriages ending with a divorce. On the other hand, Hawaii holds the title for the state with the lowest divorce rate, standing only at around 20 percent.
According to statistics, couples go through a divorce at an average age of 30 years, and 60 percent of spouses involved in a divorce are between the age of 25 and 39 years. Women are more likely to take things to the divorce court than men. African American women have a higher divorce rate between the age of 50 and 59 years. Asian women are less likely to get divorced between the age of 25 to 29.
Given the current situation, America is seeing a significant improvement as far as divorce rates go. The drop in divorce rate is noticeable up until 2019 and we will have to see what the new decade has in store for us as far as marriage goes.
What do you think would help improve the length of marriage in the USA? Let us know in the comment section.