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Although many people estimate that half of all couples who marry these days will get divorced, the truth is that the "per capita" divorce rate in America has been steadily declining since its highest point in 1981, and is now at the lowest rate seen since 1970.
Fewer Divorces Because Fewer Marriages?
However, it's not clear whether this is cause for celebration; some researchers contend that this decline in divorces is simply due to a higher rate of couples living together without marrying. Others are describing a "divorce divide" in which the divorce rate is falling among college-educated spouses but not among the less-educated populations in the U.S.
Divorce Rate Climbed in the 70s
The divorce rate in America began to rise markedly in the late 1960s, and during the 1970s and early '80s, the numbers of divorces skyrocketed as nearly all 50 states adopted "no-fault" divorce laws. In a no-fault divorce, grounds such as "irreconcilable differences" are used, even unilaterally.
The highest divorce rate was in 1981, when there were 5.3 divorces per 1,000 adult Americans. Now, however, the rate is at 3.6 per 1,000 — a drop by one-third, and the lowest rate since 1970.
Reasons for the Declining Divorce Rate
It's not entirely clear what caused this significant decline in the U.S. divorce rate. A number of factors have been proposed, including:
The "per capita" divorce rate is a different calculation from the percentage of marriages that will end in divorce, which is difficult to calculate; one estimate is that 40 to 45 percent of today's marriages will end in divorce.
(Source: MSNBC)
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