The percentage of marriages that end in divorce varies by country and depends on how the data is measured. In the United States, approximately 40-50% of first marriages end in divorce according to the American Psychological Association
. Other sources estimate that about 41% of first marriages end in divorce, with higher rates for second (60-67%) and third marriages (73%)
. The U.S. Census Bureau data from 2019 shows about 37% of marriages ended in divorce based on the number of marriages and divorces recorded that year
. Globally, divorce rates are often reported as the number of divorces per 1,000 people rather than a direct percentage of marriages ending in divorce. For example, the U.S. divorce rate is around 2.3 to 3.2 divorces per 1,000 population, placing it among countries with relatively high divorce rates worldwide
. The highest divorce rates per 1,000 people are seen in countries like the Maldives (5.52), Kazakhstan (4.6), and Russia (3.9)
. In summary:
- In the U.S., about 40-50% of first marriages end in divorce.
- Divorce rates per 1,000 population vary widely worldwide, with the U.S. rate around 2.3-3.2 per 1,000 people.
- Globally, the percentage of marriages ending in divorce depends on local laws, culture, and social factors.
This means roughly 4 to 5 out of every 10 first marriages in the U.S. end in divorce, while worldwide rates vary significantly by country
