43
Percent of First Marriages Break Up Within 15 Years
For Release
Thursday, May 24, 2001
Contact: NCHS Press Office
(301) 458-4800
CDC Office of Media Relations (404) 639-3286
E-mail: paoquery@cdc.gov
First Marriage
Dissolution, Divorce, and Remarriage: United States. Advance Data 323.
19 pp. (PHS) 2001-1250. View/download PDF
169 KB
New data on marriage,
divorce, and remarriage in the United States show that 43 percent of first
marriages end in separation or divorce within 15 years, according to a
report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The report, "First
Marriage Dissolution, Divorce, and Remarriage: United States,"
also shows that one in three first marriages end within 10 years and one
in five end within 5 years. The findings are based on data from the
1995 National Survey of Family Growth, a study of 10,847 women 15-44 years
of age.
"Separation and
divorce can have adverse effects on the health and well-being of children
and adults," said CDC Director Jeffrey Koplan. "Past research
has shown that divorce is associated with higher rates of mortality, more
health problems, and more risky behaviors such as increased alcohol
use."
The study also showed
that:
Duration
of marriage is linked to a woman’s age at first marriage; the older a
woman is at first marriage, the longer that marriage is likely to last.
For example, 59 percent of marriages to brides under 18 end in separation
or divorce within 15 years, compared with 36 percent of those married at
age 20 or over.
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.
Younger
women who divorce are more likely to remarry: 81 percent of those divorced
before age 25 remarry within 10 years, compared with 68 percent of those
divorced at age 25 or over.
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.
"These data offer
an important glimpse into the social fabric of this country," said
Dr. Edward Sondik, director of CDC’s National Center for Health
Statistics, which conducted the study. "The implications of divorce
cut across a number of societal issues –- socioeconomics, health, and the
welfare of our children."
The report can be
downloaded from the CDC Web site.
The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protects people's health and safety
by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries; enhances health
decisions by providing credible information on critical health issues; and
promotes healthy living through strong partnerships with local, national,
and international organizations.