New Research Shows Marriage Rates Are Up, and Divorce Rates Are Down

Summary

Marriage rates have increased and divorce rates have decreased in the U.S. since the Covid-19 lockdowns, with a notable shift towards companionate marriages.

Abstract

The latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics indicates a rebound in marriage rates, reaching 6.2 per 1,000 people in 2022 following a dip to 5.1 during the initial Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020. Concurrently, the divorce rate has continued a downward trend, hitting 2.4 per 1,000 people in 2022, down from 4 per 1,000 in 2000. Marissa Nelson, a marriage and family therapist, attributes the rise in marriages to a pandemic-induced clarity on partnership requirements. Another therapist, Ian Kerner, observes a trend towards choosing spouses who are more like best friends, suggesting a move towards companionate marriages that may contribute to the decline in divorce rates.

Opinions

Marissa Nelson believes that the unique challenges of the lockdown forced couples to confront significant relationship issues, leading to a better understanding of their needs in a partner.
Ian Kerner notes a shift from romantic to companionate marriages, with people increasingly valuing friendship-like qualities in their spouses, which could support long-term stability and satisfaction.
The article's author expresses optimism about the continuing decrease in divorce rates, viewing it as uplifting news.

Uplifting News!

New data indicates that 2022 saw a rise in marriages following the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The data shows that the number of marriages dropped at the beginning of the pandemic. According to new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, for the past two decades, the number of marriages has remained around 7 to 8 per 1,000 people per year.

However, in 2020, the marriage rate dropped to 5.1 per 1,000 people, as you see in the graph below. The rate then began to increase the following year, and by 2022, the number of marriages had risen to 6.2 per capita, totaling over 2 million marriages in a year, according to the report.

Marissa Nelson, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Washington, DC, suggested that the increase in marriage rates may not just be due to rescheduling.

During the lockdown, couples faced a unique challenge that forced them to address important issues like finances, compromise, and independence. This experience led many individuals to gain a clearer understanding of what they require in a life partner, Nelson explained.

In 2022, the divorce rate stood at 2.4 per 1,000 people. While this isn’t the lowest recorded rate — it was 2.3 in 2021 — it does continue a downward trend, as on above graph.

In contrast, the divorce rate in 2000 was 4 per 1,000, indicating a significant decline from two decades ago.

As per Ian Kerner, a licensed marriage and family therapist — “In my practice over the last decade, I’ve noticed a gradual shift from the ‘romantic marriage’ to the ‘companionate marriage,’ meaning that people are increasingly choosing spouses at the outset who are more like best friends than passion-partners.”

Choosing partners based on such qualities may result in issues with attraction, but it also implies that individuals are prioritizing characteristics that are likely to foster long-term stability and satisfaction, he said.

This is of course a really uplifting news and hope the divorce rate continues to come down.

Thank you for reading!