Surprising Statistics About Divorce

 Posted on March 30, 2019 in Illinois Family Law

You might have heard that approximately 50 percent of marriages in the U.S. end up in divorce, but that the statistic has declined in recent years. Or you may have heard that millennials are getting married at much lower rates than people in older generations. Everyone seems to know something about divorce, to have some idea about supposed statistics surrounding divorce, or to be able to identify interesting facts about the divorce process. But what do you really know about divorce? We have collated information from a wide variety of sources to bring you some surprising statistics about divorce.

Divorce Rates in the U.S.

What are the facts when it comes to divorce rates in the U.S.? The following represent some statistics that you may find surprising:

• Approximately 42 percent to 45 percent of marriages now end in divorce;
• Fewer millennials are getting divorced, but at the same time fewer millennials are getting married;
• Around 60 percent of second marriages end in divorce, and nearly three-fourths of all third marriages end in divorce;
• More than one-fifth, or 20 percent, of the U.S. population has been divorced at least once, and about 10 percent of the population is currently divorced;
• The average length of a marriage that ends in divorce is about eight years;
• The rate of “gray divorce,” or divorce among older adults, has doubled since the year 1990;
• Currently, about 25 percent of divorces involve couples over the age of 50; and
• On average, about 2,400 divorces occur each day.

Predicting Divorce and Divorce Risk Factors

• Some studies say divorce is “contagious,” meaning that people are more likely to file for divorce if a family member or close friend files for divorce;
• Higher education (having at least a bachelor’s degree from a college or university) reduces your risk of getting divorced by about 13 percent;
• Spending more money on your wedding may increase the likelihood of your filing for divorce;
• People with higher incomes are less likely to get divorced; and
• People with more friends and more people in their social networks are less likely to seek a divorce.

Facts Concerning Divorce and Children

• Short-term effects of divorce on children typically dissipate;
• Keeping contact with children, even if it is through social media or electronic communication, has a significant impact on the parent-child relationship;
• Telling children about divorce plans as quickly and truthfully as possible helps kids with divorce in the long run; and
• Nearly 20 percent of kids currently live in a family with a single parent, a remarried parent, and/or step-siblings.

Contact an Experienced Divorce Attorney in DuPage County

Do you need assistance with your divorce, or do you have questions about the divorce process more generally? An experienced and compassionate Oakbrook Terrace divorce lawyer can answer your questions today. Our firm is committed to assisting members of the DuPage County Muslim community with a wide variety of family law matters. Contact Farooqi & Husain Law Office today for more information. We can also be reached by phone at 630-909-9114.

 

Sources:

https://ifstudies.org/blog/what-is-the-divorce-rate-anyway-around-42-percent-one-scholar-believes/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/complicated-love/201809/7-surprising-facts-about-gray-divorce

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-divorce-bad-for-children/

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/10/21/is-divorce-contagious/

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/marriage-divorce.htm

https://www.aacap.org/aacap/families_and_youth/facts_for_families/fff-guide/Children-and-Divorce-001.aspx

https://www.worthy.com/blog/worthy-living/divorce-rate-in-america/