Children of Divorce

This report analyzes trends for the period

1950-84 in the number and proportion of

children whose parents divorced.

Characteristics of divorcing couples with

and without children are examined,

including number of previous marriages,

age at divorce, age at marriage, race,

education, and whether it was the husband

or the wife who petitioned for the divorce.

Geographic variations are also discussed.

Data From the National

Vital Statistics System

Series 21, No. 46

DHHS Publication No. (PHS) 89-1924

U.S. Department of Health and Human

SaMces

Public HeafthSeMce

Centersfor Dkease Control

National Center for Health Statistics

Hyattaville, Md.

- ~@J
Copyright Information

All material appearing in this reporl IS m the public domain and may be

reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is

appreciated.

Suggested Citation

National Center for Health Statistics, Kathryn A. London. 1989. Children of

Dworce. Wa/ and Hea/th Skrtisfics. Series 21, No. 46. DHHS Pub. No. (PHS)

89-1924. Public Health Service Washington: U.S. Government Prlnfing Office.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publiitiin Data

London, Kathryn A.

Children of dworce.

p. cm.—(Vital & health statistics. Series 21, Data from the national vital

Stetistlcs system; no. 46) (DHHS publication ; no. (PHS) 89-1924)

Bibliography: p.

ISBN 0-8406-0400-9

1. Divorce-United Stetes—Statistics. 2. Children of divorced parents—

Umted States—Statistics. 3. Dworced parents—United States—Statwtics,

4. United States—Statwtics, Vital. 1. National Center for Health Statistics (U.S )

II. Title. 111.Series. IV. Series: Vital and health statistics. Sertes 21, Data from

fhe national vital statstics system : no. 46.

HA21 1.A3 no. 46

[HQ834]

304.63’0973021-dc 19 88–31316

[306.8”9] CIP
National Center for Health Statistics

Manning Feinleib, M. D., Dr. P. H., Director

Robert A. Israel, Deputy Director

Jacob J. Feldman, Ph. D., Associu[e Director ,Jw- Analysis

und Epidemiology

Gail F. Fisher, Ph. D., Associute Director ,jbr Planning and

E.rtramut-al Programs

Peter L. Hurley, Associate Director jbr Vitul und Health

Statistics Systems

Stephen E. Nieberding, Associute Director for Manugetnent

George A. Schnack, Associate Director,fbr Data Processing

and Sert’ices

Monroe G. Sirken, Ph. D., Associate Director for Resectrch

and Wlethodology

Sandra S. Smith, Injim-mation Oflicer

Division of Vital Statistics

John E. Patterson, Director

James A. Weed, Ph. D., Deputy Director

Robert L. Heuser, M. A., Acting Chief, Marriage and

Di\w-ce Statistics Brunch

Joseph D. Farrell, Chief, Systems and Programming Branch

Mabel G. Smith, Chief Statistical Resources Branch
Contents

Introductio n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...1

Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I

Highlights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Cun-ent patternsand trendsindivorce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - . . 2

Prevalence ofdivorce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - . . . . . . . ~

Trends inchildren’s experience with divorce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Current patternsof divorce by presence ofchi[dren

Sourceandreliabilit yofdata . . . . . . . .

Number oftimes previously married . . . . . .

Ageatdivorce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ageatmarriage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Duratio nofrnarriage . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Petitioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Geogmphic differerwes . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ---- . . . . . . . . . . . 8

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1~

Listofdetailedtables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -. . . . . . 13

Appendix

Tcchnicalnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

23

List of text figures

1. Divorces andchiIdren involved:United States, 1950-84 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2. Divorcerzdteper 1.000 married women 15 years of age and over, and children involved in divorce per 1,000 children

underage 18: United States, 1950–84 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

.? . Averdge number of children per decree and average number of own children under 18 years ofa.ge per married

coupIehousehol d:UnitedStates. 1956-84 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

4. Percent of women who had a first birth by the time they had been married two years, for marriage cohorts of

women: UnitedStates. 1935-74 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

5. Percent distributi(>n ()fdiv(>rcing c()uples bynumber ()fchildren atdivorce: divorce-registration area, 1984 . . . . . 11

List of text tables

A. Percent distribution of divorces by presence of children under 18 years of age at time of divorce, according to

number of this marriage for wife and husband. and mean number of children: 30 reporting States, 1984 . . . . . . . 8

B. Percent distribution of divorces by presence of children under 18 years of age at time of divorce, according to race

of wife and husband. and mean number of children, all marriages and primary marriages: 26 reporting States,

1984 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...9
C. Percent distribution of divorces by petitioner, according to presence of children under 18 years of age at time of

divorce, andmeannurnb erofchildren. all marriages andprimary marriages: 30 reporting States, 1984 . . . . . 10

D. Percent distribution of divorces by presence ofchikh-en under 18 years of age at time of divorce, according to region

of the country where divorce was granted, and mean number of children, all marriages and primary marriages: 30

reporting States. 1984 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~ . . 11

Symbols

..- Data not available

. . . Category not applicable

Quantity zero

0.0 Quantity more than zero but less than

0.05

z Quantity more than zero but less than

500 where numbers are rounded to

thousands

.

Figure does not meet standard of

reliability or precision

# Figure suppressed to comply with

confidentiality requirements
Children of Divorce

by Kathryn A. London, Division of Vital Statistics

Introduction

Background

Each year since 1972, over a million children have seen

their parents divorce. In 1984, 1,081,000 children were affected, or 17.2 of every 1,000 children. This report presents

data from one of the few major sources of national information

about children and divorce, the National Vital Statistics Program. The following sections of the report document the

dramatic rise in the number and proportion of children under

18 years of age whose parents divorced and describe how

divorcing couples with children differ from divorcing couples

without children in terms of the number of times each spouse

has been married, age at divorce, age at marriage, race, education, and whether it was the husband or the wife who petitioned

for the divorce. Differences by State and region of the country

are also discussed.

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) receives

an annual count of the number of divorces and annulments

granted by county from each of the 50 States and the District

of Columbia. In addition, data on characteristics of divorcing

couples come from divorce certificates from the 3 I States

that participate in the divorce-registration area (DRA). In 1984,

eight of the DRA SMtes provided State-coded data tapes of

100 percent of their divorce records through the Vital Statistics

Cooperative Program. In the remaining 23 DRA States, a

sample of records was drawn using sampling rates ranging

from 5 to 100 percent. The DRA includes all States that

maintain central files of divorce records and whose divorce

records are usually complete and accurate. In 1984 divorces

in DRA States accounted for about 48 percent of the divorces

in the United States. See the appendix for further discussion

of the DRA and the sampling technique used.

Highlights

. Edch year in the United States, more than a million couples

divorce and more than a million children are affected.

In 1984, 54 percent of divorcing couples had at least

one child under 18 years of age.

●

●

●

●

Many more children have to cope with divorce than did

previous cohorts of children. The number of children

whose parents divorced more than tripled between 1950

and 1984. The percent of children whose parents divorced

more than doubled.

Couples in which one or both spouses had been married

before had fewer children at divorce than couples who

had not been married before, and the more times men

and women had been married, the fewer children they

had.

Divorcing couples with children were 6 years younger

al marriage and 3 years younger at divorce, on avemge,

than childless couples. Among couples in which neither

spouse had been married before, couples with children

were 2 years younger at marriage and 1 year younger

at divorce than childless couples.

At the time the divorce was granted. couples with children

had been married 2 years longer, on average, than childless

couples. Among couples in which neither spouse had

been married before, couples with children had been married I year longer than childless couples.

Black couples and white couples had nearly equal family

sizes at divorce and were equally likely to have children.

Educational differences between couples with children

and childless couples were small, but in general, men

and women with a college education were more likely

to be childless at divorce than men and women with

less education.

The wife was more likely to be the one to file for the

divorce when the couple had children than when they

did not. Among childless couples, the wife was the

petitioner in 57 percent of the divorces, and among couples

with children, the wife was the petitioner in 66 percent

of the divorces.

Divorcing couples in the South were least likely to have

children and divorcing couples in the Midwest and West

were most likely to have them; but differences were small

and the majority of couples in each region had at least

one child.
Current patterns and trends in

divorce

Prevalence of divorce

Divorce is widespread in the United States, with more

than a million divorces granted each year. In 1984, 1,169,000

couples divorced, the equivalent of 5.0 divorces for every

1,000 persons in the nation. Restricting the population on

which the divorce rate is based to married women, there

were 21.5 divorces for every 1,000 married women 15 years

of age or older. Thus, 2.15 percent of married women obtained

a divorce during 1984. When lifetime rather than single-year

probabilities of divorce are considered, it has been estimated

that nearly half of all recent marriages will eventually end

in divorce (NCHS, 1980).

Because divorce is so widespread, a large number of

children will spend some part of their childhood in households

disrupted by divorce. In 1984, an estimated 1,081,000 children

were involved, or 17.2 of every 1,000 children ( 1.72 percent).

National estimates of children involved in divorce were made

by assuming that the average number of children per decree

for the United States was the same as the average in the

DRA States. See the appendix for further discussion.

When long-term rather than single-year probabilities of

disruption are considered, it has been estimated that 4 I percent

of children born to ever married women will experience the

disruption of their parents’ marriage before they reach age

16 (Bumpass, 1984). Separation and divorce will account

for most of these disruptions, and mortality for the rest.

Trends in children’s experience with divorce

Many more of today’s children have to cope with divorce

than did previous cohorts of children. The annual number

of divorces has risen from 385,144 in 1950 to a peak of

1,213,000 in 1981 (table 1 and figure 1). During the same

period the divorce rate doubled, from 2.6 to 5.3 per 1,000

population. The number of children involved nearly quadrupled, from 299,000 in 1950 to 1,180,000 in 1981.

Because the population under age 18 was growing rapidly,

the number of children involved in divorce would have risen

even in the absence of any change in the probability of divorce.

In 1950, 6.3 of every 1,000 children saw their parents divorce

(table 1). If that proportion had not changed, about 395,000

children would have seen their parents divorce during 1984,

nearly 100,000 more than during 1950, solely because of

the growth of the population underage 18.

It is clear, however. that the increased birth rate alone

cannot explain the growth of children’s involvement in divorce.

First, the number of children involved in divorce continued

to rise even after the early 1970’s, when the number of children

under 18 began to fall (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1982).

Second, the number of children whose parents divorced in

1984 was 1,081,000, more than 21Atimes the 395,000 children

expected if the proportion of children involved had remained

the same as in 1950.. Far from remaining the same, the proportion of children involved in divorce rose from 6.3 per 1,000

in 1950 to 17.2 per 1,000 in 1984. Thus, more important

than increased fertility in explaining the growth of children’s

involvement in divorce is the increased likelihood of divorce.

The growth of the population under age 18 accounted for

12 percent of the additional children involved in divorce in

1984 compared with 1950; the increased likelihood of divorce

accounted for the remaining 88 percent.

Other studies have found that children deter divorce; that

is, parents are less likely to divorce than childless couples

(Cherlin, 1977; Thornton, 1977; Waite, Haggstrom, and

Kanouse, 1985), but the extent to which children deter divorce

appears to have changed since the 1950’s. The percent of

children whose parents got a divorce grew nearly every year

between 1950 and 1981, and between 1950 and 1968 grew

even faster than the divorce rate (figure 2), suggesting that

couples with children accounted for a larger share of the

growth in the divorce rate than childless couples. In other

words, the likelihood of divorce among couples with chlildren

seems to have at least partially caught up with the likelihood

of divorce among childless couples.

Further evidence comes from a comparison of divorcing

couples and married couples since 1956 (table 2). In 1956.

divorcing couples had fewer children, on average, than mlarried

couples-O .95 children for divorcing couples and 1.30 chlildren

for married couples, suggesting that the divorcing group was

disproportionately made up of childless couples. The gap

closed considerably during the late 1950’s and 1960’s and

remained small through the 1970’s (figure 3). By the !980’s

divorcing couples had virtually the same number of chlildren

on average as married couples.

It appears that one reason for the convergence is that

parents who were unhappy with their marriages becamle less

likely to stay together for the sake of the children. In 1962,

a study of women found that only about half disagreed with

the statement: “When there are children in the family, parents

should stay together eve’n if they don’t get along. ” When

the same women were interviewed again in 1980, 82 percent

disagreed with that statement (Thornton and Freedman, 1983).

In addition to the relative likelihood of divorce for couples

2
1,300,000

1,200,000

1,100,000

1,000,000

involved in dworces

900,000

Number of dworces

800,000

700,000

600,000

500,000

400,000 ..@-- .*-+-

300,000

0

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990

Year

Figure 1. Divorcesand childreninvolved: United States, 195CPS4

with and without children, shifts in the timing of childbearing

can affect the proportion of divorcing couples who have children and the percent of children whose parents divorce.

Couples divorce at all ages and durations of marriage, but

because divorce rates are highest at young ages and short

durations of mamiage, divorcing couples tend to be younger

and to have been married less time than currently married

couples. Therefore, the group of married couples will have

had more time to have children than the divorcing couples.

A shift to early childbearing would mean that even couples

who divorce shortly after marriage might have children, diminishing the differences between divorcing and mwried

couples. A shift to later childbearing would mean that many

couples divorce before they have had children. making the

difference between divorcing and married couples more pronounced. Such shifts in the timing of childbearing have occurred. Since the mid- 1930’s, the percent of women who

had a birth by the time they had been married two years

first increased and then decreased (figure 4). All else being

equal, the proportion of children involved in divorce would

increase as childbearing is concentrated in the early years

of marriage and would decrease as childbearing is postponed.
100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

0

0

0.

& 10

a

g9

:8

7

6

5

4

3

2

Dworce rate

..- ~z.----s.. -------

--- ------

Child involvement rate

./

,-----

.

.“--”

------~

----------------

950 1955 1960 1985 1970 1975 1980 1985

Year

Figure 2. Divorce rate per 1,000 married women 15 years of age and over, and children involved in divorce per 1,000 children under age 18:

United States, 1950-84

4
100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Average number of own children per

married couple household

--------------- ---%

~..

--------- //”---

/“

--.=

Average number of

children per decree

1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985

Years

Fiiure 3. Average number of children per decree and average number of own children under 18 years of age per married couple household:

United State.sj 1956-84

5
o 1 I I I 1 I

I

1935–39 1940-44 1945-49 1950-54 1955-59 1960-64 1965-69 1970-74

Year of marriage

Figure 4. Percent of women who had a first birth by the time they had been married 2 years, for marriage cohorts of women: United States, 1935-7’4

6
Current patterns of dworce by

presence of children

Source and reliability of data

Information on the number of children whose parents

divorced in 1984 is available from the divorce certificates

of the 31 States participating in the divorce-registration area

(DRA). These States ask how many minor children are living

in the household at the time of the divorce. The relevant

item on the divorce certificate usually reads, “Number of

children under 18 in this family. ” Adult children, children

who have died. and children living elsewhere are excluded.

When analyzing patterns of divorce by the presence of

children, complications arise when the family contains children

who were born before the current marriage, either outside

of marriage or during a previous marriage. It appears that

some but by no means all of these children are reported

on divorce certificates. In the 25 DRA States for which information is available, 2.6 percent of divorcing couples reported

more children under 18 years of age than the number of

children who had been born alive of the current marriage.

If neither spouse had been married before, the percent was

O.8; if one or both spouses had been married before, the

percent was 5.7. Since I to 2 percent of couples adopt children,

it seems likely that some of these children were adopted,

but others probably were born to one of the spouses before

the current mamiage.

An analysis comparing vital statistics data with data from

the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS ) concluded that some children from previous marriages are not

reported on divorce certificates, perhaps because their custody

is not being decided. According to divorce certificates, 35

percent of previously married women who divorced in 1983

had children under 18 years of age. According to the CPS,

however. 64 percent had children under 18 years of age.

Apparently the discrepancy between the two data sources was

due to children from previous marriages being omitted from

divorce certificates, not to the CPS overestimating their number

(London, 1986).

This omission from vital statistics data of children from

previous marriages may obscure the strength of the relationship

between divorce and the presence of children if some couples

are considered as being childless who really have children.

The problem might be avoided by confining the analysis to

primary marriages-marriages in which neither spouse had

been married before—because the reporting of children on

divorce certificates appears to be much more complete for

primary marriages than for remarriages. Confining the analysis

to primary marriages may overcompensate for the problem,

however. The strength of the overall relationship between

children and divorce could be overestimated if children are

a stronger deterrent to divorce in primary marriages (the divorce of their two biological parents). than to divorce in

remarriages (the divorce of one parent and one stepparent).

To address these issues, the fol[owing sections of this report

include separate tables for all divor~es and

which neither spouse had been marri~d before.

Number of times previously married

for divorces in

Couples in which one or both spouses had been married

before had fewer children at divorce than couples in primary

marriages, and the more times the men and women had been

mtirried, the fewer children they had. Couples in primary

marriages averaged 1.1 children under 18 years of age, compared with 0.6 children for couples in which one or both

spouses had been married before. When the specific number

of previous marriages was considered, women who had been

married once before averaged 0.6 children, and women who

had been married at least twice before averaged only 0.4

children (table A). The figures for men were similar.

Couples in which one or both spouses had been married

before had smaller average family sizes than did couples in

primary marriages, mainly because a greater proportion of

those previously married were childless, not because those

who did have children had fewer of them. Compared with

women who were ending their first marriages, women who

had been married once before were 1Yz times as likely and

women who had been married at least twice before were

nearly twice as likely to report no children under 18 years

of age (table A). When only couples with at least one chiId

were considered. the average number of children was only

slightly higher for couples in primary marriages than for

couples in which one or both spouses had been married before;

couples in primary marriages averaged 1.8 children, compared

with 1.6 children for couples in which one or both spouses

had been married before.

Although children from previous marriages are probably

underreported, the smaller average family size for remarried

men and women could also be related to age. If children

of couples in which one or both spouses had been married

before were older, on average, than the children of couples

in primary marriages, a larger proportion of them would have

reached adulthood by the time of the divorce, and so would

not be reported on divorce certificates. The divorce certificate

contains no information on the specific ages of children, but

men and women who had been married before were older

7
Table A. Percent distribution of divorces by presence of children under 18 years of age at time of divorce, according to number of this marriage for wife

and husband, and mean number of children: 30 reporting States, 1984

[Based on sample data See the appe.d,x for a dlscuss!on of repofilng Stales]

Number of (h/s marriage: w(fe Number of this marriage: husband

All Third All Third

Numbar of chddren under 18 years of age at tfme of dworce marriages 1 F\rst Second or more marriages’ First Second or more

Percent dlstnbutlon

Total, . . . . . . 1000 1000 1000 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 “100.0

No chddren 465 399 60.9 77.1 46.5 40.6 59.9 715

1 or more children 53.5 601 39.1 22.9 535 59.4 40.1 285

Number of ch!ldren

Mean, . . . . . . . 09 11 0,6 0.4 0.9 1.0 0.7 0.4

‘Includes number of Ihls marriage not staled

on average than men and women who had not been married

before, so it is plausible that their children would be older,

too. Men who had been married before were 41.6 years old

at divorce, on average, compared with 34.2 years for men

who had not been married before. Women who had been

married before were 38.2 years old at divorce, on average,

compared with 31,9 years for women who had not been married

before.

Age at divorce

Couples who had no children under age 18 at divorce

were more than 3 years older, on average, than divorcing

couples with children. Childless women were 35.3 years old

while women with children were 32. I years old (table 3).

Childless men were 38.0 years old while men with children

were 34.7 years old. When only primary marriages were

considered, the age difference between childless couples and

parents was less than 1 year. Childless women were 32.5

years old while women with children were 31.7 years old.

Childless men were 34.6 years old while men with children

were 33.8 years old.

When duration of marriage was taken into account, age

differences between childless couples and couples with children remained. Women with no children under age 18 were

3.7 to 9.4 years older than women with children (table 4).

Men with no children under age 18 were 4.8 to 9.4 years

older than men with children.

Among primary marriages of at least one year’s duration,

age differences between childless couples and couples with

children were larger when duration of marriage was taken

into account than when it was not. Excluding marriages of

less than one year’s duration, childless women were 1.9 to

8.8 years older than women with children and childless men

were 1.6 to 9. I years older than men with children, compared

with age differences of less than a year when duration of

marriage was not considered.

The distribution of the presence of children by age reflects

fertility patterns by age. Fertility rates are highest for women

in their 20’s and decline with age. One might therefore expect

many divorcing couples in their 20’s to have children, and

most couples to have had at least one child by their late

30’s. After couples reach their 40’s, a growing proportion

of their children will have reached age 18. so the percent

of couples with children should decline after age 40. This

was indeed the case (table 3). Couples divorcing while in

their 30’s were most likely to have children; couples divorcing

at wge 50 or older were least likely. About 65 percent of

women divorcing at ages 35–39 had at least one child under

age 18, but only 12 percent of women divorcing at age 50

or above did. The pattern was the same when only primary

marriages were considered. although the percent of women

and men in each age group who had children was greater.

Age at marriage

Divorcing couples with no children under age 18 had

been older when they got married than divorcing couples

with children. Childless women were nearly 6 years older

at marriage (27. 1 years, on average) than women with children

(2 1.5 years). Childless men were also nearly 6 years older

(29.7 years) than men with children (24. 1 years) (table 5).

When only primary marriages were considered, the age difference between childless couples and parents was approximately

2 years. Childless women were 22.1 years old at marriage,

on average, and women with children were 20.2 years old.

Childless men were 24.1 years old and men with children

were 22.3 years old.

The older that men and women were at marriage, the

less likely they were to have children under age 18 at the

time they divorced. Whereas 71 percent of women who married

before age 20 years had children, only 3 percent of those

who married at age 45 years or later did (table 5). The pattern

was the same when only primary marriages were considered,

although in these marriages a larger percent of older men

and women had children. The percent of women in primary

marriages who married at age 40 or later and had children

at divorce is surprising, given the very low fertility rates

after age 40. Perhaps some of these children were born premaritally or were adopted, or perhaps women who marry for

the first time at age 40 or later actually do have relatively

high fertility rates to makeup for postponed childbearing.

8
Duration of marriage

Couples with children under age 18 waited longer to

divorce than couples with no children under age 18. Couples

with children remained married an avemge of 10.6 years

and childless couples an average of 8.3 years, a difference

of 2.3 ycurs (table 6). About 76 percent of couples with

children had remained married at least 5 years. compared

with only 46 percent ofchildless couples.

Among primary mamiages. couples with children remained married an average of 11.6 years and childless couples

an average of 10.6 years. a difference of [ year. About 81

percent of couples with children had been married at least

5 years, compared with only 53 percent ofchildless couples.

The data describe an association but do not answer the

question of which is cause and which is effect. Does the

absence of children cause (or allow) couples to divorce more

quickly, or is it simply that couples who divorce soon after

marriage have less opportunity to have children than couples

who stay together longer? It seems likely that both contribute

to the association between presence of children and ciumtiorr

of marriage.

Parents differed little from childless couples in the length

of time between their sepmation and the final divorce decree.

The uvemge separation interval was about 3 months longer

for’childless couples (22 months) than for parents (19 months)

(table 7). The difference was about 6 months for primary

marriages. Regardless of marital history. childless couples

were more likely than parents to divorce after a very short

sepamtion. but they were also slightly more likely to wait

60 months (5 years) or more between separation and divorce.

perhaps because there is less need for the legal end of the

marriugc when child custody and support are not at issue.

The dit’t’ercnccs between parents and childless couples are

small. however. Thus the interval between separation and

divorce appears to have little to do with the presence or

absence of children and is probably determined in large part

by the time schedule of the courts.

Race

White couples. black couples, and couples of other races

were equally likely to have children under age 18 at divorce.

Approximately 53 percent of women in each rdcial category

had children at the time of the divorce (table B): among

primary marriages, more men and women reported having

children, but there was still very little difference by race.

When only couples with at least one child were considered,

for all marriages and for primary marriages, white couples

reported 1.7 children, on avemge. black couples reported

1.8 children, and couples of other races reported 1.9 children.

Although the race of the children does not appear on

the divorce certificate, it can be inferred from the race of

the parents. An estimated 85.6 percent of the children whose

parents divorced in 1984 were white, 12.0 percent were black,

and 2.4 percent were of other races. (See the appendix for

the procedure used to code the mce of the child. ) These

percents are very similar to the racial distribution of divorcing

husbands and wives, reelecting the low frequency of intermarriage between racial groups, and their relatively equal family

sizes at divorce. Among husbands, 86.9 percent were white,

I 1.5 percent were black. and 1.6 percent were of other races.

Among wi~res. S7. I percent were white, 11.1 percent were

black, and 1.8 percent were of other rdces. Figures for prima~

marriages were similar.

Education

Childless couples and couples \vith children had approximately the same level of education (slightly more than 12

Table B. Percent distribution of divorces by presence of children under 18 years of age at time of divorce, according to race of wife and husband, and

mean number of children, all marriages and primary marriages 26 reporting States, 1984

[Based on sample data See the append!. for a d,scuss!on of reporimgStates]

Race of wife Race of husband

All All

Number of cbddren under 78 years of age at time of dworce races’ White Black Other races’ Wh/te Black Other

Percent distribution

Allmarnages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Nochddren, ..,.,.,,, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,, 47.0 47.0 47.1 47.0 47.0 47.1 46.9 47.9

Iormore chidden..,,.,.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53.0 53.0 52.9 53.0 53.0 52.9 53.1 52.1

Number of children

Mean, ., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.0

Percent drstnbution

Pnmarymarrlages, ,. ...,,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

No children .,, , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39.1 38.7 40,8 40,4 39.1 38.7 40.4 43.3

Iormore children.....,,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60.9 61.3 59.2 59.6 60.9 61.3 59.6 56.7

Number of chidren

Mean . ., .,, .,...,, . . . . . . . . . . . . ,,. 1.1 1.1 11 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1

‘Includes race not stated

9
and a half years on average). Childless women in primary

“ marriages had the most education, 12.9 years, followed by

childless men in primary marriages, 12.8 years (table 8).

In general, the percent of couples who had children at divorce

decreased as educational attainment increased. Differences

in percent childless between the least and most educated groups

were greater for women than for men, and were greater for

primary marriages than for all marriages.

Petitioner

The wife was more likely m be the one to file for the

divorce when the couple had children than when they did

not. Among childless couple~, the wife was the petitioner

(or “plaintiff” in some States) in 57 percent of the cases

and the husband was the petitioner in 37 percent of the cases

(table C), Among couples with children. the wife was the

petitioner in 66 percent of the cases, and the husband in

29 percent. The figures for primary marriages were nearly

the same.

To investigate the link between petitioner and presence

of children, the appropriate question seems to be “Why would

women be more likely to want to end their marriages when

they have children than when they have none, or conversely,

why would men be more likely to want to end their marriages

when they have no children than when they do?” But it is

also possible that the appropriate question to ask is “Given

that a couple has decided to end their marriage, why is the

woman more likely to be the one to file the petition when

there are children than when there are none’?”

Keeping these two approaches in mind, four hypotheses

suggest themselves. The first three address the question of

how children might affect the desire to end marriages. First,

husbands, facing the prospect of child support payments, may

be reluctant to file for divorce when there are children. Second,

remarriage rates for older women are lower than remarriage

rates for older men, so childless women might be more reluctant

to file for divorce than women with children simply because

childless women are older on average than women with children.

Third, because women are granted custody in most divorces

involving children, fathers may be more reluctant than mothers

to file for divorce because, for men, divorce means separation

from the children. The fourth hypothesis addresses the question

of who files for divorce given that the couple has already

decided to end the marriage: women may take the initiative

in filing for divorce if they feel that the petitioner has a better

chance of being awarded custody.

The data do not support the hypothesis that men avoid

divorce to avoid child support. If that were their aim, the

more children men had, and hence the more costly child

support would be, the less likely men should be to file for

divorce. The data show, however, that among divorcing

couples with children, men with many children are no less

likely to file than men with only one child (table C). It

is only men with no children who are more likely to file.

It does not appear that the association between children

and petitioner is really a function of age. That is, the lower

proportion of women petitioning among childless couples does

not simply reflect older women being reluctant to file because

they have a comparatively small probability of remarriage.

The data show that within each age group except 50 years

or older, women with children were more likely to be the

petitioner than childless women.

Reports from divorce attorneys that women’s overriding

concern in divorce cases is the custody of their children

(Weitzman, 1985 ) may support the hypothesis that women

choose to be the petitioner because they feel it wi l] give

them a better chance of being awarded custody of the children.

Of course. other explanations are possible as well.

Geographic ciifferences

Divorcing couples in the South were least likely to have

children under age 18 and divorcing couples in the Midwest

and West were most likely, but differences were small (table D). A majority of the couples in all four regions had

Table C. Percent distribution of divorces by petitioner, according to presence of children under 18 years of age at time of divorce, and mean number of

children, all marriagea and primary marriagea: 30 reporting States, 1984

[Based on sample data See the appendix for a d$scuwon of report!ng States]

Number of children

1 or more

Mean

number

4 or of

Pettt/oner Total’ None Total 7 2 3 more children

Percent distribution Number

Allmarrlages, .,..., . . . . . . . . . . . 100,0 100,0 100,0 100,0 i 00,0 100,0 1000 $’0.9

Husband .,..,,,., ,. .,.,,, 32.3 366 28.6 28.7 28.6 27.9 28.4 0.8

Wife, . . . . . . . . . . .,, .,,...,, 616 57.1 65.7 65.8 65.2 66.3 66.6 1.0

Bothor other person, .,.,, ...,,.,,,, 60 63 5.8 5.5 6.1 5.8 5.1 0.9

Primary marriages, ..,, . . . . . . . . 1000 100.0 100,0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 ~1.1

Husband ..,....., . . . . 32.9 37.9 29,9 29,8 300 29.8 29,2 1.0

Wife . . . . . . . . . . . ,., ... 63.6 58.4 66.8 67,1 66.5 66.9 67.3 1.1

Bothor other person,.,,,. , . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 3.8 3,3 3.1 3.5 3.3 3.5 1.0

‘Includes number of children not stated

21ncludes petdtoner not stated

10
children: 50.6 percent in the South. 52.9 percent in the Northeast, and 55.7 percent in tkie Midwest and West.

In the DRA. 46.5 percent of divorcing couples had no

children. 25.5 percent had one child. 19.9 percent had two

children, 6.1 percent had three children. and 2.0 percent had

four children or more (figure 5). Differences among States

were moderate (table 9).

3 children 4 children or more

6.1

No chddren

Tabfe D. Percent distribution ofcfivorces bypresenceof children under

18years ofageat time of divorce, according toregion of the country

where divorce was grantad, andmean number of children, ailmarnages

andpnmary marriages 30repofting States, 1984

[Based on sample data. See the appendix for a dscuss,on of reporting States]

Number of children

Region

under 18years of age

at time of divorce DRA Northeast Midwest South West

All marriages

No children .

1 or more children

Mean . . . . . . .

Primary marriages

No children .

1 or more children

Mean . . . . . . .

. . . . . 100.0

. . . . . . 46.5

. . . . . . . . 53.5

. . . . . 0.9

. . . . 100.0

. . . . . . . 38.7

. . . . . . 61.3

. . . 1.1

Percent distrlbullon

100.0 100.0 100.0

47.1 44.3 49.4

52.9 55.7 50.6

Number of children

0.9 1.0 0.8

Percent distribution

100.0 100.0 100.0

42.2 35.3 39.6

57.8 64.7 60.4

Number of children

1,0 1.2 1.0

100.0

44.3

55.7

1.0

100.0

33.5

66.5

1.2

Figure 5. Percent distribution of divorcing couptes by number of children

at divorce: divorce-registration area, 1984

11
References

Bumpuss. 1. [,, 1984. Children and marittii dlwuptmn: A rcplicution

;md updutc, Dcm~~,srdp/I\ 21.7 I–82.

C’hcrl!n. A. 1977 The cfi’cct of children on marital dissolution.

/)[w/(),y/@/\’ I4:265-72

I.omk)n. K, A 1986, Mmriagc and divorce dtita, u comparison

01’Vit:il Statistics and the Currcn[ Populu[ion Survey Paper prcscntcd

;IIthe Annual Mcc[ing of the Southern Rc.giomd Demographic Group.

Bfil[lmorc. McI.

Nxionul Center i’(x Hudth Statistics, J. A. Weed, 1980. Nationul

cstimtitcs ot’ murriagc dissolution and survivnrship. United Sttitcs.

Vi/{1/ ~/IId Hc(I/I/I .\/(jfi,\Il(,,!, Scrim 3. No. 19, DHHS Pub. No.

(PHS) 8 I-1403. Public Health Scrvicc. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Ot’ficc.

Thornton. A., and D. Freedman. 1983. The changing Almcrican

fiamily. Popd. Bu//. 38(4): 144.

U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1982. Household and F~mily characteristics, March 1981. Curt-. Pqml. R(Jp, Series P-20, No. 371.

Washington: U.S. Govcxnmcnt Printing Office.

U.S. Bureau of the Census, C. Rogers and M. O’Cmmcll, 1984.

Childspticing among birth cohorts of American women: 1905 to

1959. Cnrr. Popu/. Rep. .%rics P-20. No. 385, Washington: U ,S.

Government Printing Office.

Waite. L. J.. G. W. Haggstrom, and D, E. Kanousc, 1985. The

cnnscqucnccs of parenthood for the marital stability of young tiduits.

A/n. S(x.i{)/. RcI,. 50:850-57,

Wcitzman. L. J. 1985, T/Ie di~v)v(,e re)v)lufion. th~ ltm>.vpecied social

(ml ecmotnic (’otI.s(JyliC’IIC’C’.sjiv ttwtmw and chiklrctl it? America.

Ncw York: The Free Press,
List of detailed tables

1. Es[imatcd number of divorces and annulments. divorce

rate pcr 1,000 population, estimated number of children

involved, average number of children pcr dccrcc. and rate

pcr i ,000 children under 18 years of age: United

stxcs.195(?-84., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

?-. Avcrdgc number of children pcr dccrcc and average

numbw of own children pcr married coupic household:

United States, 1956-&l...,.,.. . . . . . . . . .

.,3 Pcrccnt distribution of divorces by prcscncc of children

under 18 years of agc at time of divorce, and mean

number ofchildrcn, according to agc of wife and husbdnd

at divorce and mean agc at divorce, all marriages and

primary mamiagcs: 30rcpm-tingStatcs, 1984. . .

4, Mean agc at divorce by duration of marriage and

prcscncc of children under 18 years of agc at time of

divorce, all marriages and primary marriages: 30

reporting Srdtcs,1984 ...,.. . . . . . . . . . . . .

.5. Pcrccnt distribution of divorces by prcscncc of children

under 18 years of tigc at time of divorce, and mean

number of children, according to agc of wife and husband

at mtu-riagc and mean agc at marriage, all marriages

and primary mwriagcs: 30 reporting States, 1984 . . .

6.

14

7.

15

8.

16

17 9.

18

Pcrccnt distribution of divorces by duration of marriage,

and mean duration of marriage, according to prescncc of

children under 18 years of agc at time of divorce and

mean number of children, all marriages and primary

marriages: 30 reporting States, 1984 . . . . . . . . . 19

Pcrccnt distribution of divorces by interval bctwccn

separation and divorce, and mean duration of scparatirm.

according to prcscncc of children under 18 years of agc at

time of divorce and mean number of children, all

marriages and primary marriages: 30 reporting States,

1984 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...19

Pcrccnt distribution of divorces by prcsencc of children

under 18 years of agc at time of divorce, and mean

number of children, according to educational attainment

of wife and husband and mean education, all marriages

and primary marriages: 21 reporting States, 1984 . . 20

Number of divorces and annulments and pcrccnt

distribution by number of children under 18 years of agc

involved: divorce-registration area and each registration

Statc,1984 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...21

13
Table 1. Estimated number ofdworces and annulment& divorce rate perl,OtM population, estimated number ofchildren involved, average numberof

ctildren per&cr=, andmteper l, WctiMren under 18years ofage Untied S@tes, 1950-84

[Figures for chddren baaed on sample data for 1960-s4. Segmnmg m 1970 estrmated from frequencies for the ent,re dworce-registratmn area rather than for selected Statea. For method of

computation see appendix]

Children

Divorces Rate per

Rate Estimated Average 1,000 children

per 1,000 number number

Year

under 18

Number population involved per decree years of age

1,169,000

1,158,000

1,170,000

1,213,000

1,189,000

1,181,000

1,130,000

1,091,000

1,083,000

1,036,000

977,000

915,000

845,000

773,000

708,000

639,000

584,000

523,000

499,000

479,000

450,000

428,000

413,000

414,000

393,000

395,000

388,000

381,000

382,000

377,000

379,000

390,000

392,000

38~,000

385,144

5.0

4.9

5.0

5.3

5.2

5.3

5.1

5,0

5.0

4.8

4.6

4.3

4.0

3.7

3.5

3.2

2.9

2.6

2.5

2.5

2.4

2.3

2.2

2.3

2.2

2.2

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.5

2.5

2.6

1,081,000

1,091,000

1,108,000

1,180,000

1,174,000

1,181,000

1,147,000

1,095,000

1,117,000

1,123,000

1,099,000

1,079,000

1,021,000

946,000

870,000

840,000

784,000

701,000

669,000

630.000

613,000

562,000

532,000

516,000

463,000

468,000

398,000

379,000

361,000

347,000

341,000

330,000

318,000

304,000

299,000

0.92

0.94

0.94

0.97

0.98

1.00

1.01

1.00

1.03

1.08

1.12

1,17

1.20

1.22

1.22

1.31

1.34

1.34

1.34

1.32

1.36

1.31

1.29

1.25

1.18

1.18

1.08

0.99

0.95

0.92

0.90

0.85

0.81

0.80

0.78

17.2

17.4

17.6

18.7

17.3

18.4

17.;7

16.7

16.9

16.7

16.2

15,7

14.7

13.6

12.5

11.{1

11.1

9.9

9.5

8.9

8.7

8.2!

7.gl

7.8

7.2

7.5

6,5

6.4

6,3

6.3

6.4

6.4

6.2

6.1

6.3

14
Table 2. Average number of children per decree and average number of own children per married couple household: United States, 1956-84

Average number of Average number of own

Year ch!ldren per decree ch{ldren per married couple household

,..

,..

0.92

0.94

094

0.97

0.98

100

1.01

1.00

1,03

1.08

1.12

1.17

1.20

1.22

1.22

1.31

1.34

1.34

1,34

1,32

1.36

1.31

., 1.29

125

1 18

1.18

1.08

0,92

0.92

0.93

0.96

0.97

1.00

1.03

1.06

1.09

1.12

1.16

1.19

1.24

1.30

1.33

1.35

1.37

1.39

1.40

1.43

1.44

,44

41

.40

.39

,38

,36

0.99 1.33

0.95 1.30

Source far aw?rage number of own chddren per married couple household U S Bureau of the Census 1956-84 Household and Faintly CharacterM!cs 195&84 Curr Popul Rep SertesP-20,

Nos 75 83 88 100, 106 116, 125, 139, 153, 184 173, 191, 200, 218.233, 246 258, 276, 291.311.326, 340, 352, 366, 371 381, 388 398 Washington U S Government Prmtmg Of flCe

15
Table 3. Percent distribution of divorces by presence of children under 18 years of age at time of divorce, and mean number of children, according to age

of wife and husband at divorce and mean age at divorce, all marriages and primary marriages: 30 reporting States, 1984

[Based m sample data. See the appendix for a d(scusalonof repormg Statea]

Age at divorce

Under 50 Mean

Number of chddren under 18 All 20 20–24 25–29 30-34 35-39 4044 45-49 years age at

years of age at time of divorce ages’ years years years years years years years or more divorce

All marriages Percent dmtribubon Years

Wife . . . . . . . . . . .,..,, 100,0 1000 100.0 1000 100,0 100,0 1000 100.0 100,0 233.6

Nochddren 465 521 48.1 42.7 37.7 35.0 46.4 64.8 88.0 35.3

lchlldormore 53.5 47,9 51.9 57.3 62.3 65.0 53.6 35.4 12.0 32.1

Numberofchildren

Mean . 0.9 05 0.7 1.0 1.2 1.3 1.0 0.5 0.2 ...

Percent distribubon Years

Husband ., . . . . . . . . . . .,...,. 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100,0 100,0 100.0 .?~6,2

Nochildren .,....., . . . . . . 465 58.4 50.4 45.4 39.4 35.1 39.5 53.8 78.8 38.0

Ichildormore 535 41.8 49.6 54.6 60.6 64.9 60.5 46.2 21.2 34.7

Numberofchddren

Mean . . 0.9 0.5 0.7 0.9 1.1 1.3 1.2 0.8 0.3 . .

Primary marriages Percent distribution Years

Wife, , ..,,,..,,. .,, .,,,.. 100.0 100.0 1000 100.0 100.0 100,0 100,0 100.0 100.0 232.0

Nochildren 38.7 50.4 46.5 39.7 28,2 16.1 30.6 55.2 82.7 32.5

lchddormore 61.3 49.6 53.5 60.3 71.8 81.9 69.4 44.8 17.3 31.7

Numberofchildren

Mean . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 0.6 0,7 1.0 1.4 1.7 1.3 0.7 0.3 . .

Percent distribution Years

Husband .,,....,,,.. . . . . . . 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100,0 100,0 100.0 100.0 100,0 234.1

No children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38.7 55.9 48.3 42.9 33.1 21.4 23.2 42.6 73.2 34.6

lchildormore. 61.3 44.1 517 57.1 66.9 78.6 76.8 57.4 26.8 33.8

Numberofchildren

Mean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 0.5 0,7 0.9 1,2 1.6 1.5 1.0 0.4 . .

‘ Includes age at dworce rmt stated

‘Includes number Ofchddren not stated

16
Table 4. Mean age at divorce by duration of marriage and presence of children under 18 years of age at time of divorce, all marriages and primary

marriages: 30 reporting States, 1984

[Baaed on sample data, See the appendix for a dlscusston of reporting StateS]

Duration of marrtage No chddren 1 or more children Difference’

235.3

31.8

30.0

31.1

34.4

39.6

49.9

238.0

35.1

32.7

33.6

38.9

41.8

52.4

232.5

23.1

24.3

26.4

29.3

34.4

49.0

‘34.6

25.3

26.4

28.4

31.2

36.2

51.5

Years

232.1

28.1

24.9

26.0

28.9

33.5

40.5

234.7

30.3

27.6

28.8

31.6

35.9

43.0

231.7

23.7

22.3

24.2

27.4

32.5

40.2

233.8

25.8

24.3

26.3

29.5

34.6

42.4

3.2

3.7

5.1

5.1

5.5

6.1

9.4

3.3

4.8

5.1

4.8

5.3

5.9

9.4

0.8

-0.6

2.0

2.2

1.9

1.9

8.8

0.8

-0.5

2.1

2.1

1.7

1.6

9.1

‘Mean age at divorce for persons with no children minus mean age for persons with 1 or more children

%ludes duration not stated

17
Table 5. Percent distribution of divorces by presence of children under 18 years of age at time of divorce, and mean number of children, according to age

of wife and husband at marriage and mean age at marriage, all marriages and primary marriages: 30 reporting States, 1984

[Based on sample dala See the append)xfor a discussion of reporlng Slates]

Age at mamage

Under 45 Mean

Number of ch(ldren under 18 All 20 2&24 25–29 30-34 35-39 40-44 years age at

years of age af ttme of divorce ages 1 years years years years years years or more marriage

All marrtages Percent dlstr!butlon Years

——

W!fe 1000 1000 1000 100,0 1000 1000 1000 100.0 224.1

No ch[ldren 465 291 435 569 717 814 91.9 97.3 27.1

1 child or more 535 709 565 43,1 263 16.6 6.1 2.7 21.5

Number of children

Mean 09 13 10 07 05 0,3 01 00

Percent dtstnbutlon Years

Husband 1000 1000 1000 100.0 1000 100.0 100.0 1000 226.7

No ch[ldren 46,5 261 38.4 50.2 605 69.5 77.9 90,5 29.7

1 ch!ld or more 53.5 739 616 49,6 395 30.5 221 9,5 24.1

Number of chddren

Mean

Primary marriages

Wife

No children

1 ch!ld or more

Husband

No children

1 child or more

09 13 11 0,8 06 0.5 0.4 0.1

Percent d(stnbut]on Years

1000 1000 100,0 100.0 1000 100.0 100.0 100,0 ‘20.9

387 286 439 59.2 67.3 74.0 85.7 92.1 22,1

613 714 56,1 40.8 32.7 26,0 14.3 7.9 20.2

Number of ch(ldren

11 13 10 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.1

Percent distribution Years

1000 100,0 1000 1000 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 223.0

387 252 37.9 50.9 578 62,3 65,0 799 24.1

613 748 621 49.1 42,2 37.7 35.0 20,1 22.3

Number of chddren

Mean 11 14 1,1 08 0,7 0.7 0.6 03

‘Includes age al rnarrlage nol slated

‘includes number of children not stated

16
Table 6. Percent distribution of divorces by duration of marriage, and mean duration of marriage, according to presence of children under 18 years of age

at time of divorce and mean number of children, all marriages and primary marriages 30 reporting States, 1964

[Baaed on sample data. See the appendix for a discussion of reporting States]

Mean number

Duration of marriage Total’ No children 7 or more children of children

Percenl d!stributron

All marriages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.0 100.0 100.0

Under l year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 8.0 1.0

l-2years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.9 26.0 8.9

3-4years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.7 19.6 14.1

5-9years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.7 21.9 29.1

10-14years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.4 8.0 21.9

15yearsormore ..,..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.1 16.4 25.1

20,9

0.2

0.3

0.6

1.0

1.5

1.3

Years

Mean duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.5 8.3 10.6 .

Percent distribution Number

Primary marriages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.0 100.0 100.0

Under lyear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 4.7 0.5

l–2years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.0 22.8 6.8

3-4years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.0 19.3 12.2

5-9years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24.8 21.0 27.2

10-14years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17.4 8.1 23.3

15years ormore . . . . . . . . . . . . 27.8 24.3 30.0

21.1

0.2

0.4

0.7

1.1

1.7

1.3

Years

Mean duration, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.2 10.6 11.6

‘Includes number of chtldren not stated.

‘Includes duration of marrrage not stated,

Table7. Percent tistnb@ion ofdvorces byintewal beWeensepa@ion anddworce, andmean duration of separation, according topresenceof children

under 18yeara ofageat time ofdivorce andmean number of children, allmarriages andpnmary marriages: 30 reporting States, 1964

[Baaed on sample data. See the appendix for a discussIon of reporting States]

Mean number

Interval between separation and divorce Total’ No children 1 ormore children of children

Percent distribution Number

All marriages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.0 100.0 100.0 20.9

Under6 months, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27.8 31.1 25.0

O-n months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.8

24.1 23.8 24.3 0.9

12–23 months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26.2 23.8 28.3 1.0

24–59 months ..,,..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.9 14.5 17.1

60monthsormore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.0

6.0 6.6 5.3 0.8

Months

Meanduratlonofseparation ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Primarymarrfages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Under6 months. ..,...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8-llmonlhs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12-24 months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

25-59 months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

60monthsormore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Meanduration ofseparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

20.4 21.7 19.2

Percent distribution

100.0 100.0 100.0

24.7 26.0 24.0

23.1 23.0 23.2

27.6 26.0 28.7

17.4 16.3 18.1

7.1 8.8 6.0

Months

22.6 26.0 20.3

.

Number

21.1

1.0

1.1

1.1

1.1

0.9

.

~lncludea number of clvldren not stated.

21ncludes duration of separation not stated.

19
Table8. Percent dstribution ofdivorces bypresence of children under 18 years ofageat time of divorce, andmean number of children, according to

educational attainment of wife andhusband and mean education, allmarriages and primary marriages: 21 reporting States, 1984

[Based on sample data Seethe append!xforad[sc.sslon ofrepmtmgStates]

Number ofch!ldren under i8vears ofaaeat tfmeofdworce

All marriages

Wife

No children

1 child or more

Husband

Nochlldren . . . . . . . .

Ichlld or more.

Mean, .,,

Primary marriages

Wife, ,, ,..

No children

1 chddor more

Mean

Husband

No children ,,

Ichtld or more..

Mean ...,,,...

,..

Years of school completed

0-11 12 73–15 16 17 years Mean

Total’ years years years years or more education

Percent distribution

1000 100.0 1000 100.0 100,0 100.0

470 451 45.3 46,6 54.6 56,7

53.0 54.9 54.7 53.4 454 43.3

Number of children

09 10 0.9 0.9 0.8 0,7

Percent distribution

1000 1000 100,0 1000 100,0 100.0

47.0 455 45,8 45.9 52.1 51.8

53,0 54.5 54.2 54.1 479 48.2

Number of children

09 10 0.9 09 0,8 09

Percent dlstrlbutlon

1000 1000 100,0 1000 100,0 100.0

391 341 373 40,0 501 51.8

609 659 62,7 600 499 48,2

Number of ch(ldren

11 1.2 11 11 09 0.8

Percent dlstrlbutlon

100,0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1000

391 34.7 380 39.4 46,0 46.6

609 653 62.0 60.6 54.0 53.4

Number of children

11 1.2 1.1 1,1 1.0 10

Years

2126

12,7

12.6

Years

712.5

12.5

12,5

Years

“12.7

12.9

12.6

Years

712.7

12.8

12.6

‘Includes years Ofschool nol stated

21ncludesnumber of children not slated
Table9. Numkrof dvorces andannulments andpercent distribution bynumber ofctiMren under 18years ofageinvoWed: dvorce-registration area and

each registration State, 1984

[Based on sample data Seethe append!x foradEcusslon ofreportmg States]

Number ofchildren under 18yearsinvo/ved

A// dworces 5

Area and annulments Total None 1 2 3 4 or more

Dworce-reglstration area

Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Connecticut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Delaware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hawaii, . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Idaho’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

llhnow, ,.

Iowa, . . . . . . . . . . .

Kansas, . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Maryland, . . . . . . . . . . .

Massachusetts . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mlchlgan, . . . . . . . . . . . .

M!ssourl, . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Montana . . . . . . . . . . . .

Nebraska . . . . . . . . . . . .

New Hampshire...,,,,..

New York, . ., . . . . . . . . .

Ohio, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Oregon . . . . . . . . . .

Pennsylvania, ...,,.., . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rhode island . . . . . . . . . . . .

South Carokn a . . . . . . . . .

South Dakota . . . . . . . . . . .

Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . . .

Utah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Vermont, ..,.,.,,,,.,

Vlrgmla, ,, ..,...,,.. .

Wwconsin .,, ,., ,,... .

Wyommg, , ..,,,,,.,., . . . . . . . . . . .

Number Percent distribution

567,783

25,510

3,897

11,708

2,960

33,320

4,764

6,148

48,880

10,508

12,945

17,135

16,110

16,760

37,620

24,860

4.367

6,403

4,942

64,607

53,300

15,625

40,330

3.642

13,689

2.498

29.670

6.212

2.354

24.683

16,635

3,701

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

46.5

46.3

47.8

46.3

44.9

51.3

46.1

46.5

46.0

39.9

444

47,3

51.0

42.0

44,7

46.5

45.2

37.0

41.2

51.5

45.2

44.3

44.1

42.5

46.1

39.7

51.8

39.8

38.3

49.7

38.3

43.2

25.5

26.8

24.1

25.3

25.6

24.5

24.6

23.8

25.4

25.6

25.9

27.2

26.0

25.8

23.4

26.2

24.1

26.6

27.0

23.1

26.4

25.6

27.0

25.7

27.6

26.1

25.4

24.7

26.3

27.2

25.6

23.9

19.9

19.2

20.2

21.4

21.9

18.2

19.6

20.2

19.6

24.1

21.2

18.4

17.6

22.7

22.1

19.5

21.2

24.0

23.4

17.6

20.2

22.7

20.4

22.4

19.1

23.6

17.0

20.4

25.5

17.5

25.4

22.4

6.1

5.5

5.5

5.4

5.7

4.4

6.9

6.5

6.6

7.9

6.6

5.5

4.4

7.3

7.3

6.1

7.0

9.5

6.7

5.8

6.1

5.7

6.8

7.0

5.7

8,0

4.3

9.4

7.6

4.5

6.1

8.0

1.5

1.5

1.5

i .3

1.3

1.1

2.0

2.2

1.8

1.9

1.4

1.3

0.7

1.7

2.0

1.3

2.0

2.0

1.3

1.4

1.7

1.5

1.4

1.7

1.1

1.8

1,1

3,4

1.9

0.9

1.9

1,8

0.5

0.7

1.0

0.3

0.3

0.5

0.8

0.6

0.6

0.6

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.6

0.9

0.4

0.5

0.4

0.1

0.3

0.7

p.3

0.4

0.4

2,3

0.5

0.2

0.6

0.7

‘Th!s Stale reports number of ch!ldren affected by decree

21
Contents

Technical mates ..,...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...23

Thedivorce-registration area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Sourcesofdata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Sampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Completeness ofcoverage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Estimatesofchildren involvedin divorce. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Raceofchildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Computation of rates, percent distributions, and means . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Listofappendixtables

1. Years cent~al files ofdiv()rce records were established andyears areas were admitted tothedivorce-registrationarea . . 24

II. Sampling emorofestimated percent: divorce-registration area andeach registration State, 1984 . . . . . . . . . . . 24

111. Items of statistical information coded from divorce or annulment records ofdivorce-registration States: 1984 . . . . 25

22
Appendix

Technical notes

The divorce-registration area

The divorce-registration area (DRA) was established in

1958 and currently includes 31 States. The DRA includes

all States with adequate programs for collecting divorce statistics. Criteria for participating in the DRA are: ( 1) a statistical

report conforming closely in content to the U.S. Standard

Certificate of Divorce, Dissolution of Marriage, or Annulment;

(~) a State office that maintajns a Cen[ra] fi]e of divorce

records from all local areas in which divorces are recorded;

(3) regular reporting to the State office by all local areas;

and (4) tests for completeness and accuracy of divorce registration carried out in cooperation with the National Center for

Health Statistics (NCHS). Table I shows, for each State,

the year central files of divorce records were established and

the year the State was admitted to the divorce-registration

area.

Sources of data

The divorce statistics in this report come from data collected by NCHS and published annually in Vital S(a/isfics

of fhe United Stares. Volume 111,Marriage and Divorce. The

data come from two sources: ( 1) all States provide complete

counts of the number of divorces and annulments granted

by county, and (2) the DRA States provide information from

divorce certificates on the characteristics of divorcing couples.

Divorce statistics for the United States, for the DRA,

and for individual States are tabulated by place of occurrence,

not by place of residence. Tabulations exclude divorces that

occur outside the United States, that is, outside the 50 States

and the District of Columbia. The term “divorce” as used

in this report includes absolute divorces, decrees of marital

dissolution, and annulments.

Sampling

The complete file of divorce records was included for

eight States—Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Rhode

Island, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia—which supplied State-coded data tapes of 100 percent of their divorce

records through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. For

the remaining DRA States, a systematic sample of divorce

records for 1984 was selected by using five different sampling

rates. For each DRA State either 5, 10, 20. 50, or 100 percent

of the divorce records were included. Sampling rates were

selected so that the expected sample would contain at least

2,500 records for each State. This criterion required 100-

percent sampling for Alaska, Delaware. Hawaii. Montana,

New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Using the sample to estimate the frequency of an event

in the actual population will usually result in some error.

Estimates of this sampling error are shown in table II for

the DRA for 1984. These sampling errors can be used to

create a “’confidence interval” for the estimated frequency

of an event, which is assumed to include the true frequency

of the event. The sample frequency minus the sampling error

gives the lower bound and the sample frequency plus the

sampling error gives the upper bound of the contldence interval. In the long run, these confidence intervals would include

the true frequency of the event in 68 of every 100 similarly

selected samples.

Completeness of coverage

Many of the items tabulated in this report appeared on

the divorce certificate of all States in the DRA (table III).

These items are: date of divorce (used to compute age at

divorce and duration of marriage). date of marriage (used

to compute age at marriage and duration of man-iage),

petitioner, number of children under 18 years of age, and

age or date of birth (used to compute age at marriage and

divorce). Each of these items was reported with over 97

percent completeness except age or date of birth, which was

reported with about 89 percent completeness. All States but

South Dakota reported the number of previous marriages or

a similar measure of marriage order. but reporting was incomplete in several States. Overall, marriage order was reported

on about 85 percent of the certificates in the DRA. Because

South Dakota did not report number of previous marriages,

it was excluded from all tabulations in this report that took

marriage order or number of previous marriages into account.

Race was omitted from the certificates of four States

(Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Ohio) and

was incomplete] y reported in other States. Overall, race was

reported on about 76 percent of the certificates. Education

was omitted from the certificates of 10 States (Delaware,

Idaho, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oregon,

Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and South Dakota) and date

of separation from those of 10 States (Delaware, Georgia,

Kentucky. Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oregon. Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and South Dakota). Completeness of

reporting on these two items was about 56 percent for the

DRA as a whole.

23
Table 1. Years central files of divorce records were established and years

areas were admitted to the divorce-registration area

Table Il. Sampling error of estimated percent: divorce-registration area

and each registration State, 1984

[Figures for Alaska, Delaware. Hawai]. Illinola, M!asoun, Montana, Nebraaka, New

Hampshwe, New York, Rhode Island, South Camlma, South Dakota, Vermont, Wrginia, and

Wyommg have no samphng errors m 1984 because all records were tabulated!

Sampling error of estimated percent

Area and year 1 or 99 10 or90 25 or 75 50

Central Admmed

flies to the

Area established DRA

Year

1908

1949

(’)

1923

1962

1968

1947

1935

1802

1927

1952

1951

1947

1962

(’)

1914

1951

1958

1942

1892

1914

1882

1897

1970

1926

1948

1943

1909

1968

1881

1795

(’)

1963

1963

1958

1949

1949

(’)

1925

1943

1962

1962

1905

1945

1968

1953

1896

1918

1968

1967

1907

1941

1931

1953

1958

1958

(’)

(’)

(3)

(7)

1968

1981

7

;’;

1958

1958

1958

1968

(’)

1958

1959

1969

(’)

(’)

1959

1979

1961

(’)

(7)

1961

1958

1958

(’)

1979

(’)

(’)

1969

1969

(7)

(’)

1962

(7)

1958

1958

1963

1971

1958

1958

(2)

1958

1968

1958

(7)

(’)

1958

1958

(’)

1958

Alabama ,,

Alaska

Arizona, ,,, ,,,

Arkansas, ,, . . . . .

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Dlstnct of Columbia .,

Flor!da

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Ilhnols

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Loumana

Ma]ne

Maryland

Massachusetts

M!chlgan

Minnesota

MISSISSIPPI

Mlssoun

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mex!co

New York (excl N Y C,)

New York City

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carollna

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Vlrglnla

Washington

West Vlrgm[a

Wlsconsm

Wyommg

Puerto RICO

Vrgm Islands

Dworce-regwtratlon area

Alabama, ,,, ,,. .

Alaska, ,, .,.,,

Connecticut

Delaware

Georgia

Hawall .,,

Idaho, ..,,,,.

Ilhnols .,.

Iowa

Kansas, ,, . . . .

Kentucky

Maryland, .,.

Massachusetts

M!chigan

Missouri. , ,,

Montana ... ,.

Nebraska .,..,...

New Hampshire

New York ,..

Ohio

Oregon ...

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Utah, . . . . .

Vermont

Virglma ,.

Wlsconsm

Wyommg ..,......

0.0

0.2

01 0.1 0.1

0.9

0.5

.

0.8

0.6

0.5

0.9

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

.,.

,..

0.9

0.8

0.7

..

,..

,..

0,9

0.6

0.8

06 0.8

01

,..

0,2

,..

0,3

,..

0.4

0.5 0.7

0,1

,..

04 0.6

0.1

,..

0.3

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.8

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.7

0,2

0.2

0,2

Q,2

0.2

.

.,.

02

0.2

0,1

0.6

0,5

0.4

0:6

0.7

0.6

.,.

0.2

0.1

05

0.3

0.8

0.5

.,.

0.2 0.5 0.7

,..

of children involved in divorce. For 1950-59 the average

number of children per decree was calculated using data from

all reporting States, for 1960 from a nationwide sample, for

1961 –69 from 16 States, and thereafter from all DRA States.

Race of children

The race of a child whose parents divorced is inferred

from the race of the divorced couple. When the spouses are

the same race, the child is assigned that race. When the

husband is white and the wife is not, the child is assigned

the wife’s race. When the husband is not white, the child

is assigned the husband’s race. When the race of only one

spouse is stated. the child is assigned the stated race.

‘ Not yet estabhshed

‘Not yet adm!tted

‘Caldorn!a was admitted to the DRA m 1968 but ceased 10 partlc! pate m 1978

Computation of rates, percent distributions, and

means

The divorce rates and the child involvement rate in thjs

report are based on populations estimated by the U.S. Bureau

of the Census. Rates for the census years 1950-80 are based

on the populations enumemted as of April 1. Rates for all

other years are based on the estimated midyear (July 1) populations. Percent distributions and means exclude cases for which

the pertinent information (number of children, duration of

Estimates of children involved in divorce

To make the national estimates of the number of children

involved in divorce, it was assumed that the average number

of children per decree for the United States was the same

as the average in the DRA States. This average was multiplied

by the national divorce total (o estimate the national number

24
Table Ill. Items of statisticalinformationcoded from divorce or annulment records of divorce-registration States: 19S4

pX or footnote indicates the Item IScoded]

Items concerning marriage

Number of Items concerning husband and wife

Items

children

ever born Children /f previous/y

concerning State Date Date alive of under 18 Date of Number married, how

divorce of this of this couple this in this birth of this State of many ended by

Area Date Petitioner marriage marriage separated marriage family or age Race marriage Education res!dence Death Divorce

Alabama .

Alaska . . . . . . . .

Connecticut . .

Delaware .

Georgia . . . . . . .

Hawaii . . . . . . . .

Idaho . . . . . . . .

Illinois . . . . . . . .

Iowa . . . . . . . . .

Kansas . . . . . . .

Kentucky . .

Maryland . .

Massachusetts .

Michigan . .

Missouri . .

Montana . .

Nebraska . . . . .

New Hampshire .

New York . . . . . .

Ohio . . . . . . . . .

Oregon . . . . . . .

Pennsylvania . . .

Rhode Island . . .

South Carolina .

South Dakota . . .

Tennessee .

Utah . . . . . . . . .

Vermont . . . . . . .

Virginia ..,,...

Wisconsin . . .

Wyoming . . .

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

/)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

(~)

x

x

(~)

x

x

x

(’)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

(2)

(2)

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

~:,

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

~~,

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

lTotal number of chddren

2Numbarof children by this marriage

3Numberof ch!ldren affected by decree

41temdoes notspectflcally request State, but State orcitywas reported on most records; major cdleswere allocated toappropriate Ststes

5Dateof birth of each Ihvmgchifd

marriage, or age) is not stated. iMean age at marriage and

mean age at decree were computed using ungrouped data.

Persons with education beyond four years of college are coded

as having 17 years of education. No adjustment for this truncation was made in computing mean education.

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

*u.s. GOVCRN~N7 PRINTING o~f IcE:19a9-241 -259:81006 25
Vital and Health Statistics

series descriptions

SERIES 1

SERIES 2

SERIES 3

SERIES 4

SERIES 5

SERIES 10

SERIES 11

SERIES 12

SERIES 13

Programs and Collection Procech.tres-Rep@rfs descnblng the

general programs of the Nabonal Center for +leal!h Statmhcs

and Its OfflCe$ and dlwalons and the data collectmn methods

used They also include defmdmns and ot~fer material necessary

for understanding the data

Data Evaluation and Methods Fiesearcf+Studles of new stahsbcal methodology mcludlng e~penmenfd tests of new survey

methods, studies of vdal statistics collection methods, new anal~lcal techmques, objectwe evaluations of rellab!llty of collected

data, and contributions to slatlstlcal theory Studies also include

comparison of U S methodology with those of other countnes

Analytical and Epidemiol@cal Studies.-Reporls presenting

analytical or 11’NSTPMW studies based on wtal and health stat! stlcs, cany!ng the analys!s further than the exposlfory types of

reports m the other series

Documents and Committee Repotis-Fmal reports of ma)or

Committees concerned wth wtal and health stat! s!lcs and documents such as recommended model vrtal reglstratmn laws and

revised bjrlh and death cerf!flcates

Comparative International Vital and I-fea!th Statistics Reports-kalyhcal and descrlpfwe reporis comparing U S vdal

and health statlst]cs wdh those of other countries

Data From the Nationa! Health Interview Survey—Smtishcs

on !Ilness accidental [njurles, dlsabllity, use 01 hosp!tal medical,

dental, and other serwces and other health-related top!cs all

based on data collected In the cantmu!ng national household

Intew]ew survey

Data From the National Health Examination Survey and the

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-Data from

direct exammat!on, testing, and measurement of nat onal samples

of the Owllan nomnstdut!onall. zed population provide the basis

for (1 ) estimates of the medlcallv def]ned prevalence of speclf!c

d!seases In the Unded States and the dlstnbut[ons of the population

with respect to phys!cal, physmloglcal, ard psychological charac.

tenstlcs and (2) analyws of relationships among the various measurements wltholut reference fo an eypllclf fmfe unwerse of persons

Data From the Institutiormfized Population Surveys-Dlsccn

tmued m 1975 Reports from these sur~eys are Included !n Ser!es

13

Data on Health Resources Utdizat!on-Slat@cs on the ut!llzatlon of health manpower and facltmes prowdmg long term care

ambulatory care, hospital care, and family planmng serwces

SERIES 14

SERIES 15

SERIES 20

SERIES 21

SERIES 22

SERIES 23

Data on Health Resources: Manpower and Facifiiea-Statistics on the numbers, geographic dlstrtbut!on, and characteristics

of health resources mcludmg physuclans, dentists, nurses, other

health occupations, hospitals. nurs!ng homes. and outpatient faclllt!es

Data From Special Surveys-Stat@lcs on health and healthrelated topics collected !n special surveys that are not a part

of the contmumg data systems of the National Center for Health

Stat@lcs

Data on Morfafiiy-Var,ous statlsbcs on morfahty other than

as included !n regular annual or monthly reporls Special analyses

by cause of death, age, and other demographic variables, geographic and time series analyses. and stabst{cs on characteristics

of deaths not available from the vdal records based on sample

surveys of those records

Data on NataIiiy, Marriage, and D[vorc+Vanous statwtlcs

on natahty, marriage. and dworce other than as included m regular

annual or monthly reports Spec[al analyses by demographic

variables, geographic and time series analyses: stud!es of ferf!hty:

and StatlstlCs on charactertstlcs of brths not available from the

wtal records based on sample surveys of those records,

Data From the National Mortafity and Natafity Surveya-Dlscormnued In 1975 Reperk from these sample surveys based

on wtal records are included In Series 20 and 21, respectwely

Data From the National Survey of Family Growth-.stabstlcs

on fert]hty, family formation and dlssolut[on, family planning. and

related maternal and Infant health topIcs derwed from a periodic

survey of a natlonw!de probabhty sample of women 15-44 years

of age

For answers 10 quest!ons about

publlshed m these series, contact

th!s reporl or for a Itst of Mles of reports

Sclent!flc and Techmcal Ihformatlon Branch

National Center for Health Stattstlcs

Centers for D!sease Control

Pubhc Health Serwce

Hyaftsvrlle, Md 20782

301-436-8500
US. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES

Publlc Health Serwce

Centers for Disease Control

National Center for Health Stat! stlcs

3700 East-West H]ghway

Hyattswlle, Maryland 20782

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE, $300

BULK RATE

POSTAGE & FEES PAI[)

PHS/NCHS

PERMIT NO, ~

DHHS Pubhcatlon No (PHS) 89-1924, Series 21, No 46