In 2022, the divorce rate was 2.4 per 1,000 people. Although that isn’t the lowest it has ever been – in 2021, it was 2.3 – it continues a downward trend, according to the data.
By comparison, the rate of divorces in 2000 was 4 per 1,000, which means the current rate is a big decline from two decades earlier.
Being stuck in a home together during lockdown forced a lot of couples to face problems in their relationship head-on, Nelson said. That might have caused additional strife, or it could have helped them lay better groundwork for a stable future, she added.
Changes over the past two decades may also have helped. Therapy has become more normalized, roles in marriages have become more flexible, and people are more used to talking openly about how they want their marriages to work, Nelson said.
Impossible I think to do a comparison with marriage rates, as any marriage can be of indeterminate length… But I wonder if the Divorce rate and the Marriage rates are trending the same.
It sure seems to be that newer generations are not marrying or view marriage as a necessary evil lately. If that’s the case then I think the divorce rate will follow.
I wouldn’t disagree with the article that posits that marriage may be changing in general. Less of a passion and more of long-term companion. And I think that younger people see other options in marriage as opposed to the strict definition that many of us grew up with. For instance I know of at least 3 couples that have younger children that have opened up their marriage to other romantic partners. Not my style, but if they are all consenting adults, who am I to judge! And they all say it saved their marriage from imminent divorce. Not sure on the long-term outlook of that.
I also wonder how home and rent prices have affected the marriage rate. Honestly, if it is so expensive to separate, many couples may just ride it out. So that could have a small impact as well.