9781422270189

DIVORCE TODAY CHAPTER

Couples may choose to divorce for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, there is not one cause for divorce but rather a combination of multiple problems. Each additional factor affecting a couple can increase the likelihood of a divorce. Overall Divorce Rate According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the rate of divorce in the United States in 2020 was 2.3 per 1,000 population based on information reported by 45 states and Washington DC. 1 This information is referred to as the “crude divorce rate” because it counts the overall number of people who got married or divorced in a single year. The crude divorce rate is a generalization that helps analyze how the number of divorces and marriages changes over time. 2 Divorce Rates 1940-2000 In 1940, the crude divorce rate was 2.0 per 1,000 people. That ratio increased slowly until it reached a spike at 4.3 in 1946 after World War II. The overall rate fell again, fluctuating between 2.0 and 2.9 per 1,000 people until 1968. 3 In the 1960s through the early 1980s, the number of divorces increased as American society improved women’s employment

7