5 Factors (such as Age at Marriage) and the Divorce Rate

Divorce rates by age and other factors
(after a couple had been married 5 years)

1.  AGE at marriage REALLY matters: Marrying young correlates with a higher divorce rate.

• • Less than age 18: 29% likelihood of divorce
  • Age 18-19: 24%
  • Age 20-24 years old: 17%
  • Age 25 and over: 15%

2. INCOME matters: Having low income correlates with a higher divorce rate.

• • Less than $25K: 31% likelihood of divorce
  • $25K-$49K: 19%
  • $50K or more: 13%

3. How important is RELIGION to you?   If religion isn't important, the divorce rate is likely to be higher

• • Very:  18%
  • Somewhat: 21%
  • Not:  26%

4. WHERE do you live in the United States?  Couples in the South and West have the highest divorce rates.

• • South: 24%
  • West: 19%
  • Midwest: 18%
  • Northeast: 15%

5. EDUCATION: Low education correlates with higher divorce rates.

• • Less than high school: 24%
  • High school diploma: 22%
  • More than high school: 17%

6. LIVED TOGETHER before first marriage: Cohabitation before marriage correlates with higher divorce rates.

• • Yes:  24%
  • No: 18%

Source: Bramlett MD and Mosher WD. Cohabitation, Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage in the United States. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 23(22). 2002. p. 55–56

For more on the topic of divorce factors, and how to teach our children about marriage, see Chapter 2 in my book, The Life-Saving Divorce.