Divorce Statistics can Paint an Interesting Picture of Our Culture
There was a time when divorce was not only discouraged; it was actually illegal. Couples who did not get along were forced to either live together and deal with their problems unhappily, or separate without divorcing and without the option to remarry in the future.
Today in the United States, divorce is a very common legal procedure that takes place every day in every state. The incidence of divorce has shot up considerably since the mid-twentieth century, and now the social stigma that used to surround divorce has largely disappeared.
Half of Marriages end in Divorce?
While commonly-quoted divorce statistics say that 50% of marriages in the United States will end in divorce, this is not the whole truth. There are many factors that need to be considered before subscribing to divorce statistics such as this.
First of all, there are different divorce rates depending on how many times you have been married before. For a first marriage, the divorce rate is indeed around 40% to 50%. However, for a second marriage the divorce rate shoots up to in the neighborhood of 60% to 67%. For a third marriage, the divorce rate can be as high as 74%.
An interesting side note to these startling divorce statistics is that couples with children tend to divorce less often than childless couples. Some studies suggest that up to 66% of divorced couples have no children. The studies do not indicate whether those couples which children who do not divorce are staying together for the sake of the kids or whether having children really does seal a marriage bond.
Looking at these divorce statistics, it is evident that after a first marriage fails, subsequent marriages are more likely to fail as well. There are some lucky people who find a lasting marriage the second or third time around, though, even after the first marriage is not successful.
Differences around the World
While these divorce statistics may appear surprising, the divorce statistics from other countries are even more surprising. Other western countries share similar divorce rates to the United States, while many Asian countries show a very low incidence of divorce. Is this because these cultures frown on divorce, or is it because couples there are better able to work through their marital problems?
Anthropologists and sociologists continue to study the phenomenon of divorce and the impact that it has on our culture. There's no doubt that today's divorce statistics will be of great help to future generations of social scientists who attempt to understand our culture.
