Divorce Rate At 50-Year Low

The divorce rate in America has fallen to its lowest level in 50 years, has steadily declined over the past decade, according to data from the Census Bureau reviewed by the Institute for Family Studies. In 2019, every 1,000 marriages, just 14.9, ended in divorce. According to data from the American Community Survey, that is down from 15.1 the year before, 18.7 in 2010, and 22.6 in 1980. It is the lowest the rate has been since 1970 when 15 marriages per 1,000 ended in divorce. Census data shows that the median duration of a wedding in the U.S. is up to 19.8 years, an increase of 0.8 years from 2010. However, the marriage rate hit an all-time low in 2019, when 33 out of every 1,000 Americans over 15 got married. In 2010 that number was 35, and in 1970 that number was 86.