Hot on Facebook

Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Divorce Rate Hits 37-Year Low

But America's marriages may not be more stable

By Colleen Barry, Newser Staff

Posted May 11, 2007 7:00 AM CDT

(Newser) – America's divorce rate has been dropping steadily for decades; this year breakups reached their lowest level since 1970. But that doesn't mean todays' relationships are more stable: More couples are living together without tying the knot. Divorces are down by a third since their peak in 1981, but marriages themselves are also down 30%.

Experts are split in interpreting the results. A conservative think-tanker guesses young couples "are coming out of the family upheaval of the '70s, and cohabiting out of fear." But a New Hampshire counselor is more optimistic: "People don't see marriage problems as some sort of stigma anymore.They're really interested in learning how to stay married."

Wedding (Associated Press)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Men More Likely to Abandon Sick Partners

Seven times as many women stay when serious illness strikes

(NEWSER) - Relationships fail seven times more often when illness strikes the female partner than when it strikes the man. Researchers don't know why, but theories abound: “There is an immediate shift in a relationship when an illness is diagnosed,” a counselor tells the Times of London. Gender roles change more radically for men when partners become “patient and carer.” And there is often less sex and intimacy, “something many men struggle to accept.” More»

Can't Buy Me Love, but Divorce Could Cost $100K

Paperwork's cheap, but hiring lawyers, dividing real estate, finding therapy adds up

(NEWSER) - In the current financial climate, getting unhitched has become all the more ruinous, Divorce360.com reports. Selling your home, hiring attorneys, shelling out for therapy, and finding temporary housing add up to a burly bottom line, with one attorney estimating that divorce "can run anywhere from $1,820 (uncontested) to hundreds of thousands of dollars." More»

Military Divorce Rate Climbs Again

Stress of war, deployments takes toll at home

(AP) - The divorce rate in the armed forces increased slightly again in the past year as military marriages continued to bear the stress of the nation's ninth year at war. In the 2009 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, there were an estimated 27,312 divorces among the nearly 765,000 married members of the active-duty Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, according to figures provided by the Pentagon today. More»

Domesticated Swedes Make Best Husbands

Brits, Americans land in top 5 on 'egalitarian index'; Aussies last

(NEWSER) - Swedish men make the best husbands, while Australian men, preferring beer and sports over housework, rank lowest on an “egalitarian index” outlined in a study of 12 developed nations. Domestic roles carry less stigma in egalitarian societies, one researcher tells the Telegraph, “so the likelihood of forming a harmonious household becomes greater.” Norwegian males took second, Britons third and Americans fourth. More»

Is Pornography Adultery? Time to Sharpen the Debate

Smut may be losing its stigma, but at what price to marriage and our own decency?

(NEWSER) - Does looking at pornography constitute cheating? If so, a lot of men are in trouble in today's age of instant access. Ross Douthat explores the issue in the Atlantic and finds the extremes of the argument unhelpful. No, digital smut won't bring about the end of civilization, but don't be too quick to write it off as harmless, either. "The Internet era has ratcheted the experience of pornography much closer to adultery than I suspect most porn users would like to admit," he says. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Divorce Rate Hits 37-Year Low

But America's marriages may not be more stable

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

divorce • women • men • marriage • family • divorce rate

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Men More Likely to Abandon Sick Partners

Seven times as many women stay when serious illness strikes

Can't Buy Me Love, but Divorce Could Cost $100K

Paperwork's cheap, but hiring lawyers, dividing real estate, finding therapy adds up

Military Divorce Rate Climbs Again

Stress of war, deployments takes toll at home

Domesticated Swedes Make Best Husbands

Brits, Americans land in top 5 on 'egalitarian index'; Aussies last

Is Pornography Adultery? Time to Sharpen the Debate

Smut may be losing its stigma, but at what price to marriage and our own decency?

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?

Divorce Rate Hits 37-Year Low

But America's marriages may not be more stable

Bookmark & Share

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

divorce • women • men • marriage • family • divorce rate

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Men More Likely to Abandon Sick Partners

Seven times as many women stay when serious illness strikes

Can't Buy Me Love, but Divorce Could Cost $100K

Paperwork's cheap, but hiring lawyers, dividing real estate, finding therapy adds up

Military Divorce Rate Climbs Again

Stress of war, deployments takes toll at home

Domesticated Swedes Make Best Husbands

Brits, Americans land in top 5 on 'egalitarian index'; Aussies last

Is Pornography Adultery? Time to Sharpen the Debate

Smut may be losing its stigma, but at what price to marriage and our own decency?

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?