Divorce rate in United States
United States: Divorce rate was 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Divorce rate in United States, 1970–2021
Source: OECD (2025) and other sources – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for divorce rate in United States is 2.5 per 1,000 people, measured in 2021.
The figure is up 8.7% on the previous year and down 30.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, divorce rate in United States peaked at 5 per 1,000 people in 1985 and was at its lowest, 2.3 per 1,000 people, in 2020.
That places United States 6th out of 43 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.5 per 1,000 people | 3.5 per 1,000 people | 3.5 per 1,000 people | 1 |
| 1980s | 5 per 1,000 people | 5 per 1,000 people | 5 per 1,000 people | 1 |
| 1990s | 4.46 per 1,000 people | 4.2 per 1,000 people | 4.8 per 1,000 people | 7 |
| 2000s | 3.73 per 1,000 people | 3.5 per 1,000 people | 4 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.17 per 1,000 people | 2.7 per 1,000 people | 3.6 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.4 per 1,000 people | 2.3 per 1,000 people | 2.5 per 1,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.51 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.5014 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0594 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.8696 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9189 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 143.86 2010 = 100 (2024)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is divorce rate in United States?
- Divorce rate in United States was 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2021, according to OECD (2025) and other sources – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest divorce rate recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 5 per 1,000 people in 1985.
- What is the lowest divorce rate recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.3 per 1,000 people in 2020.
- How does United States rank for divorce rate?
- United States ranks 6th out of 43 countries with data for 2021.
- Is divorce rate rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025) and other sources – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Divorce rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of divorces during a given year per 1,000 people.