Most people, when asked, will often assume that divorce rates are rising in the U.S. and Canada. After all, between 40 and 50% of marriages end in divorce in the United States. This turns out to be around 827,000 divorces every year. However, this rate actually seems to be declining as of late, with more families choosing to stay together rather than separate.
High Estimates Out Of Fear
Typically speaking, divorce is seen as a negative statistic, meaning that it’s more likely to be reported on when rates are high. This, overall, has led to more people publicly assuming that divorce rates are increasing, despite statistics that show otherwise. This is similarly true of other social statistics such as teen pregnancies, births outside of marriages, and more. People are more likely to assume that these rates are increasing due to negative headlines and reports, and while this may seem like a small misunderstanding, it can cause issues when policies and assumptions are made based on a lack of facts.
More Resources For Working It Out
Why are families these days improving at staying together? While it’s hard to pin down a precise reasoning, one possibility is that there are simply more resources available for couples looking to work it out, thanks to the age of the internet and popular media. Additionally, in the United States, approximately 5.5 million couples live together unmarried. Younger couples are choosing to wait longer to tie the knot due to financial and social reasons, meaning they’re less likely to marry someone that they will divorce later on.
Marriage Rights For More People
Another factor influencing the rates of both marriage and divorce has been the legalization of same-sex marriage. On average, there are now 2.4 million weddings in the U.S. every year. With a new population able to marry, it may take some time for statistics to be available and accurate on divorce rates within these populations. However, there’s no denying that the legal recognition of gay marriage will eventually impact divorce rates as a whole. Until these statistics are available, divorce rate data overall could reflect this ongoing shift.
While many people still show concern over a higher divorce rate, the reasons for worry may actually be shrinking. With divorce rates declining into the later half of 2019, it remains to be seen whether these will remain consistent in the future.
