US Divorce Rates 10-3-24

Divorce rates in the United States have changed significantly since the 1960s, with the biggest increase happening between the 1960s and 1970s: 

1960s The divorce rate among women increased from 9 per 1,000, 0.9% married women in 1960 to 21 per 1,000, 2.1% in 2010. 

1963  1.5% of couples divorced before their fifth anniversary, 7.8% before their tenth, and 19% before their twentieth.  

1960s–1970s: The divorce rate increased due to a number of factors: 

No-fault divorce: The introduction of no-fault divorce laws in most states during the late 1960s and 1970s made it easier for either party to file for divorce. 

Sexual revolution: The sexual revolution made it easier for spouses to find extramarital partners and led to higher expectations of marriage. 

Women's employment: Women felt freer to leave abusive or unsatisfying marriages. 

Feminist consciousness-raising. The women's rights movement also contributed to the increase in divorce rates. 

Decline since the 1990s: Divorce rates have been declining since the 1990s, with the percentage of couples divorcing in the first five years halving since its peak. 

The decline in Divorce Rates was due to having fewer marriages. Couples began to “live together” instead of getting married.

Comments 

In 1975, we moved to Kansas. My career was taking off. We went looking for Information to help us strengthen our marriage.

In 1977, we made a Marriage Encounter Weekend. On that weekend, we wrote letters to each other to explain our feelings. After the Weekend, we continued to write daily letters to each other.  We became Marriage Encounter Leaders for Salina Kansas.

In 1979, we were asked to lead Engaged Encounter for the Western Diocese. We gave Engaged Encounter Weekends once a month.

In 1983, we moved to Atlanta GA and joined the Engaged Encounter Team. We gave monthly Engaged Encounter Weekends until 1995.

Our 16 years of giving Weekends kept us focused on our marriage.

In 1995, we became Marriage Ministry Leaders for our Parish and served until 2005. Our 26 years of Marriage Ministry gave us a firm foundation. We taught that it takes 3 to make a Marriage, It requires including God in the relationship. We believed in the Marriage Vows.  

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader