12 Interesting Facts About Relationships, Marriage, and Divorce

Relationships in the United States have changed considerably over the past several decades. People marry later, fewer households consist of married couples, cohabitation is more common, and divorce patterns differ substantially by age.

These 12 facts provide a more accurate picture than familiar claims such as “half of all marriages end in divorce.” Statistics describe populations—not the future of a particular relationship and different studies may measure marriage and divorce in different ways.

1. More Than Two Million Marriages Took Place in 2023

The National Center for Health Statistics recorded 2,041,926 marriages in the United States during 2023. That represented a marriage rate of 6.1 marriages for every 1,000 people in the total population.

2. The United States Recorded More Than 672,000 Divorces

The same federal data source recorded 672,502 divorces and annulments in 2023, producing a divorce rate of 2.4 per 1,000 people.

That total covers 45 reporting states and Washington, D.C. Because several states were not included, it should not be treated as the complete number of divorces nationwide.

3. Annual Divorce Rates Do Not Reveal a Couple’s Lifetime Risk

The marriage and divorce rates reported by the CDC compare the number of events occurring during a particular year with the total population. They do not track every marriage from the wedding date until death or divorce.

For that reason, dividing the annual divorce rate by the annual marriage rate does not reveal the percentage of marriages that will ultimately end. A couple’s circumstances, age at marriage, relationship history, financial situation and many other factors can affect the outcome.

4. The Overall Divorce Rate Has Declined

Research from Bowling Green State University’s National Center for Family & Marriage Research found that 19 out of every 1,000 married individuals divorced in 1990. By 2023, the refined divorce rate had declined to 13.7 per 1,000 married individuals.

This measure differs from the CDC’s population-wide rate because it examines divorce among people who are currently married.

5. First Divorces Have Also Become Less Common

The first-divorce rate has fallen for both men and women since 2008. Among men in a first marriage, it declined from 16.9 divorces per 1,000 in 2008 to 11.5 in 2023. The rate among women in first marriages also declined during that period.

The change contradicts the idea that divorce has simply become more common for every group.

6. Americans Are Marrying Later

In 2025, the estimated median age at first marriage was 30.8 for men and 28.4 for women. In 1975, the corresponding ages were 23.5 and 21.1.

These figures demonstrate how dramatically the timing of marriage has changed in only two generations.

7. Married Couples Represent Less Than Half of U.S. Households

Married couples made up approximately 47% of U.S. households in 2025. Fifty years earlier, they represented nearly two-thirds—66%—of households.

This does not mean that relationships have disappeared. Instead, Americans now live in a wider range of household arrangements, including single-person, multigenerational and unmarried-partner households.

8. Cohabitation Has Become a Significant Household Arrangement

Approximately 26 million people, about 8% of the household population, lived in cohabiting-couple households in 2020.

Living together without marrying can involve many of the same practical questions faced by married couples, including shared expenses, housing, parenting responsibilities and decisions about what happens if the relationship ends.

9. Marriage and Divorce Patterns Vary by State

Marriage and divorce rates are not uniform across the country. Economic conditions, population age, state laws, religious participation and local cultural expectations can all contribute to geographic differences.

The CDC publishes state-by-state marriage and divorce figures, but comparisons require care. A divorce is generally counted in the state where it was legally finalized, which may not be the state where the marriage began.

10. Divorce After Age 50 Has Become More Prominent

Divorce among people age 50 and older is often called “gray divorce.” Although divorce has declined among younger adults, the divorce rate for adults 50 and older has more than doubled since 1990.

Only about 8% of divorcing people were 50 or older in 1990. Today, adults in this age group account for nearly 40% of divorces. Longer life expectancy, changing expectations and the aging of the population may all contribute to this shift.

11. More Than One Million Americans Remarried in 2023

An estimated 556,951 men and 532,504 women remarried in 2023. Remarriage therefore remains common, even though remarriage rates have declined since 2008.

A remarriage may create a blended family with new parenting roles, financial arrangements and relationships between stepparents and stepchildren. These families often benefit from realistic expectations and open communication.

12. Married Parents Remain the Most Common Family Structure for Children

In 2022, approximately 65% of family groups with children under age 18 were maintained by married parents. However, children also live in many other arrangements, including with unmarried parents, one parent, stepparents, grandparents and other relatives.

Family structure alone does not describe the quality of a child’s home life. During separation or divorce, reducing conflict, maintaining dependable routines and supporting a child’s relationship with both safe parents can be more helpful than focusing on labels.

Understanding the Numbers

Marriage and divorce statistics can reveal important social trends, but they cannot predict what will happen to an individual couple. The frequently repeated “50%” claim ignores differences among first marriages, remarriages, age groups and generations. It also confuses annual population rates with the lifetime experience of a marriage.

When a relationship is under strain, accurate information is useful—but communication and a thoughtful process matter too. CEL & Associates provides marital, family, pre-divorce and post-divorce mediation services designed to help people address conflict and make informed decisions.