Divorces per 1000 people in United States
United States: Divorces per 1000 people was 2.5 in 2021. ▼ Falling
Divorces per 1000 people in United States, 1970–2021
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for divorces per 1000 people in United States is 2.5, measured in 2021.
The figure is up 8.7% on the previous year and down 30.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, divorces per 1000 people in United States peaked at 5 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 2.3, 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.
Divorces per 1000 people in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.5 | — |
| 1985 | 5 | +42.9% |
| 1992 | 4.8 | -4.0% |
| 1993 | 4.6 | -4.2% |
| 1994 | 4.6 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 4.4 | -4.3% |
| 1996 | 4.3 | -2.3% |
| 1997 | 4.3 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 4.2 | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 4 | -4.8% |
| 2001 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 3.9 | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 3.8 | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 3.7 | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 3.6 | -2.7% |
| 2006 | 3.7 | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 3.6 | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 3.5 | -2.8% |
| 2009 | 3.5 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 3.6 | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 3.6 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 3.4 | -5.6% |
| 2013 | 3.3 | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 3.2 | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 3.1 | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 3 | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 2.9 | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 2.9 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 2.7 | -6.9% |
| 2020 | 2.3 | -14.9% |
| 2021 | 2.5 | +8.7% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 2.5 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.76, 1.4× the median. (40 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Divorces per 1000 people in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | +42.9% | 3.5 | 5 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 1 |
| 1980s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| 1990s | 4.46 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 7 |
| 2000s | 3.73 | 3.5 | 4 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.17 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is divorces per 1000 people in United States?
- Divorces per 1000 people in United States was 2.5 in 2021, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest divorces per 1000 people recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 5 in 1985.
- What is the lowest divorces per 1000 people recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.3 in 2020.
- How does United States rank for divorces per 1000 people?
- United States ranks 6th out of 43 countries with data for 2021.
- Is divorces per 1000 people 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Divorces per 1000 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).