Marriage and Divorce Rates

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Marriage is considered as the basis of the society as it creates a family out of the union of two people. A marriage is influenced by the religious and cultural norms all across the world. Some societies consider marriage as a social event, while some take it as an individual preference. Though, it is a personal issue, it is to be handled legally, and every marriage requires a registration in the court. It is a kind of bond of commitment between two people. Divorce on the other hand is the ultimate dissolution of marriage that puts an end to the social and personal relations between spouses. Marriage and divorce rates help to know the changing trends in the society. It assists to analyze the modernization and actual implementation of new concepts in the country.

Following is a data of the actual statistics of marriage and divorce rates in various states -

In the below mentioned tables, the following points must be remembered -

  • For marriage data, the counts of marriages performed are taken into account
  • The data for divorces is inclusive of annulments

Marriage and Divorce Rates of the United States
Rate per 1,000 population Marriages Divorces
2007 7.3 3.6
2000 8.3 4.1
1990 9.8 4.7

N.B. Some states have not reported divorce data

State-wise Marriage and Divorce Rates per 1,000 population

State 2007 2007 2000 2000 1990 1990
Marriage Divorce Marriage Divorce Marriage Divorce
Alabama 9.2 4.3 10.3 5.4 10.6 6.1
Alaska 8.4 4.3 8.9 4.4 10.2 5.5
Arizona 6.2 3.9 7.9 4.4 10.0 6.9
Arkansas 11.9 5.9 16 6.9 15.3 6.9
California 6.2 NA 5.9 NA 7.9 4.3
Colorado 6.0 4.4 8.6 NA 9.8 5.5
Connecticut 4.9 3.1 5.9 2.0 7.9 3.2
Delaware 5.5 4.5 6.7 4.2 8.4 4.4
Florida 8.6 4.7 9.3 5.3 10.9 6.3
Georgia 6.7 NA 7.1 3.9 10.3 5.5
Hawaii 21.3 NA 21.2 3.9 16.4 4.6
Idaho 10.3 4.9 11 5.4 13.9 6.5
Illinois 5.9 2.6 7 3.2 8.8 3.8
Indiana 8.1 NA 5.8 NA 9.6 NA
Iowa 6.7 2.6 7 3.3 9.0 3.9
Kansas 6.7 3.3 8.3 4.0 9.2 5.0
Kentucky 7.9 4.6 10.0 5.4 13.5 5.8
Louisiana 7.6 NA 9.3 NA 9.6 NA
Maine 7.7 4.5 8.3 4.6 9.7 4.3
Maryland 6.3 3.1 7.7 3.3 9.7 3.4
Massachusetts 6.0 2.2 6.0 3.0 7.9 2.8
Michigan 5.9 3.5 6.7 4.0 8.2 4.3
Minnesota 5.7 NA 6.9 3.1 7.7 3.5
Mississippi 5.4 4.9 7.1 5.2 9.4 5.5
Missouri 6.7 3.8 7.9 4.8 9.6 5.1
Montana 7.4 3.7 7.4 2.4 8.6 5.1
Nebraska 7.0 3.1 7.8 3.8 8.0 4.0
Nevada 49.3 6.5 76.7 9.6 99 11.4
New Hampshire 7.1 3.9 9.5 5.8 9.5 4.7
New Jersey 5.2 3.0 6.1 3.1 7.6 3.0
New Mexico 5.7 4.3 8.3 5.3 8.8 4.9
New York 6.8 2.9 8.9 3.4 8.6 3.2
North Carolina 7.5 4.1 8.5 4.8 7.8 5.1
North Dakota 6.6 2.4 7.3 3.2 7.5 3.6
Ohio 6.2 3.3 7.9 4.4 9.0 4.7
Oklahoma 7.3 5.2 5.2 3.7 10.6 7.7
Oregon 7.8 4.0 7.8 5.0 8.9 5.5
Pennsylvania 5.7 2.8 6.1 3.2 7.1 3.3
Rhode Island 6.4 2.8 8.0 3.1 8.1 3.7
South Carolina 7.1 3.3 10.9 3.7 15.9 4.5
South Dakota 7.7 3.1 9.6 3.6 11.1 3.7
Tennessee 10.6 4.9 15.9 6.1 13.9 6.5
Texas 7.5 3.3 9.6 4.2 10.5 5.5
Utah 8.6 3.4 11.1 4.5 11.2 5.1
Vermont 8.6 3.8 10.2 8.6 10.9 4.5
Virginia 7.5 3.8 9.0 4.3 11.4 4.4
Washington 6.5 4.5 7.0 4.7 9.5 5.9
West Virginia 7.2 5.0 8.7 5.2 7.2 5.3
Wisconsin 5.8 2.9 6.8 3.3 7.9 3.6
Wyoming 9.3 5.5 10.3 5.9 10.7 6.6

It can be seen that the marriage and divorce rates in various states differ a lot. Some states show low divorce rates and high marriage rates, while in some states the divorce and marriage rates are simultaneously increasing or decreasing. The overall analysis shows that people have started preferring being alone than getting married. The proportion of divorces is increasing when compared to earlier years. The reasons for the increasing rates of divorce are -

  • The changing attitude towards marriage
  • The decreasing influence of religious and social values related to family
  • The changing lifestyle
  • Independence due to financial stability
  • Individual freedom and women empowerment

Therefore, the marriage and divorce rates actually show the inclination of the society towards acceptance of co-habitation instead of marriage. Also, it helps to know the structural changes to be done in the divorce laws and marriage laws.

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