According to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of first marriages that end in separation or divorce within 15 years is as high as 45 percent. The report, titled “First Marriage Dissolution, Divorce, and Remarriage in the United States,” also shows that one in three first marriages end within ten years and one in five marriages end within five years, which is an alarming rate for divorces. The findings of the report are based on data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth, a study of 10,847 women 15-44 years of age.
The study also revealed a number of other alarming statistics. These statistics show that the duration of marriage is linked to a woman’s age at first marriage. The older a woman at the time of first marriage, the longer the marriage is likely to last. In cases where the bride was under the age of 18, the figures for separation or divorce were as high as 59 percent as compared to 36 percent of those married at the age of 20 or older.
The study also found out that about 97 percent of separated non-Hispanic white women are divorced within 5 years of separation, compared with 77 percent of separated Hispanic women and only 67 percent of non-Hispanic black women.
Another statistic shows that women who divorce at a younger age are more likely to remarry as compared to women who are divorced at the age of 25 or later. This figure is as high as 881 percent for women divorced before the age of 25, compared with 68 percent of those divorced at age 25 or later. The ones who remarry, usually do so within 10 years.
The study also showed that Non-Hispanic black women are less likely than other women to remain in a first marriage, to make the transition from separation to divorce, to remarry, and to remain in a remarriage.
In the report, CDC also discussed that separation and divorce can have adverse effects on the health and well-being of children and adults. Similar research carried out in the past has shown that divorce is associated with higher rates of mortality, more health problems and leads to more risk behaviors, such as increased use of alcohol.
Dr. Edward Sondik, director of CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, who conducted the study says that, “These data offer an important glimpse into the social fabric of this country. The implications of divorce cut across a number of societal issues – socioeconomics, health, and the welfare of our children.”
Similar studies have been carried out in the past to review major historical trends in US divorce rates. They have also focused on the factors contributing to trends in divorce and remarriage, and the transition in persons pursuing divorce and remarriage throughout the history of the USA. These studies reveal that there has been a dramatic increase in divorce throughout the 20th century, mostly due to the advent of industrialization which has transformed family. The increased labor force participation of women and female economic independence has also allowed both men and women greater freedom to divorce.
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