The most common of the divorce statistics: Studies show that nearly 50% of marriages end in divorce.
Fortunately, the end of your marriage isn’t the end of your life or the end of love. You must decide, despite the pain and upheaval, that you will survive and your life will be good again. One light in the darkness is that your divorce can teach you amazing things about yourself and can help you focus on what really matters.
Your divorce happened. Life goes on and things will get better.
Of course, saying that is one thing. Making it happen is quite another.
Divorce Statistics
To help make sense of your divorce, here are 16 statistics that may explain what happened and provide insight to help you move forward.
- During a 20 year period, researchers found that women were happier and more satisfied with their lives after divorce. (source)
- You are 3.5 times more likely to have your marriage end in divorce if you spend $20,000 – $30,000 on your wedding than if you spend $5,000 – $10,000. This can put pressure on the people getting married to perform better financially, and can lead to early divorce due to fighting about money. (source)
- Another study suggests that jobs impact your chances of divorce, and the ones that spend the most time in a high-intensity workplace end up with the most unhappy marriages. (source)
Also, that same study suggests that…
- On average, 6.2 people get married per 1000 people in the population. The United States ranks 6th with 2.3 per 1000 people getting divorced every year. CDC divorce stats
- Every 13 seconds, there’s a divorce in America.
- Wives are more likely to file for divorce than husbands.
- In the military, the divorce rate for women tends to be 7.2 per 1000 people, while men only have a 3.4 divorce rate. That’s a 42% difference.
- The divorce rate among U.S. Navy Seals is over 90%.
- You’re more likely to file for divorce if you fall below the poverty line or have liberal views. Some people don’t marry for love. Staying true to yourself is the best thing you can do in the long run.
- The average length of a marriage is 8 years.
Of course, not everyone gets divorced. Some divorce statistics show that as of 2016, divorce rates are decreasing. (Even though the divorce rate among those 50 and older has doubled in the last 20 years.)
Divorce Statistics in the U.S.
In America, we are learning from all of this. Here, for instance, are a few more statistics.
- About nine-in-ten Americans agreed that love was very important in a marriage, lifelong commitment was at 8, and companionship was at 7.6. (source)
- In fact, some studies say that men who end up divorced have their available disposable income immediately raised by 25%. (source) (While women are almost always worse off.)
- Having shared interests and an active sexual relationship helps everyone stay happy. (source)
- 75% of women in their 50s reported having an exclusive relationship after their divorce, often within the first two years. 81% of men in their 50s had one also (source)
- 80% of people who responded to this study reported having a positive outlook on their life at the time. (source)
- One in six people who get married are likely to have a partner of a different ethnicity. (source)
- Originally, the statistic for same-sex marriage appeal was 54% opposed to 32% for. Now, that statistic has practically flipped with 62% for and 32% opposed. (source)
Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, or how much we pray, our marriage doesn’t survive.
As the facts explain, there are others all around us who are dealing with the end of their marriage and are finding their way forward. We can too. Our future is our choice, and we can always learn from the past and make life better than ever!
The best thing we can do is embrace the change and make something beautiful from it. As we heal, it helps to look for joy in the small things every day. Hey, in 100% of divorces, we get to sleep on both sides of the bed if we want to!
