Data from the

NATIONAL VITAL STATISTICS SYSTEM

Divorces and Divorce Rates

United States

Analysis of divorce statistics for the early 1970’s, including specific

divorce rates by various characteristics, based on population data

from the 1970 census, and trend data through 1976.

Reprinted April 1980

DHEW Publication No. (PHS) 78-1907

Series 21

Number 29

LLS. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE

Public Health Service

National Center for Health Statistics

Hyattsville, Md. March 1978
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Plateris, Alexander A.

Divorces and divorce rates, United States.

(Vital and health statistics: Series 21, Data from the National Vital Statistics System;

no. 29) (DHEW publication no. (PHS) 78-1907)

Includes bibliographical references.

Supt. of Dots. no.: HE 20.6209:21/29

1. Divorce–United States–Statistics. I. Title. II. Series: United States. National Center

for Health Statistics. Vital and health statistics: Series 21, Data from the National VitaJ

Statistics System, Data on natality, marriage, and divorce; no. 29. III. Series: United States.

Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare.

DHEW publication; no. (PHS) 78-1907.

HA211.A3 no. 29 [HQ834] 312’.1’0973 77-14100

ISBN 0-8406 -0110-7 [312’.5’0973]
NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS

DOROTHY P. RICE, Director

ROBERT A. ISRAEL, Deputy Director

JACOB J. FELDMAN, Ph.D., Associate Directorfor Analysis

GAIL F. FISHER, Associate Director for the Cooperative Health S tatistics System

ELIJAH L. WHITE, Associate Director for Data Systems

JAMES T. BAIRD, JR., Ph.D., Associate Director for International Statistics

ROBERT C. HUBER, Associate Director jor Management

MONROE G. SIRKEN, Ph. D., Associate Director for Mathematical Statistics

PETER L. HURLEY, Associate Director for Operations

JAMES M. ROBEY, Ph.D., Associute Director for Program Devetbpment

PAUL E. LEAVERTON, Ph.D., Associate Director for Research

ALICE HAYWOOD, Information Officer

DIVISION OF VITAL STATISTICS

JOHN E. PATTERSON, Director

ALICE M. HETZEL, Depu ty Director

ALICE M. HETZEL, Chief, Marriage and Divorce Statistics Branch

RITA U. HOFFMAN, chief Programming Branch

MABEL G. SMITH, Acting ChieJ Statistical Resources Branch

Vital and Health Statistics-Series 21-No. 29

DHEW Publication No. (PHS) 78-1907

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 77-14100
CONTENTS

s~ .................................................................................................................................................

Increasesin D.vorce .................................................................................................................................

National Fl~es .................................................................................................................................

Geographic Distibution .....................................................................................................................

Standard Metropolitan Statistical &e= .............................................................................................

Divorce-Registration Area .......................................................................................................................

Likelihood of Divorce ................................... ..........................................................................................

Age at Decree .....................................................................................................................................

Duration of Marriage..........................................................................................................................

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

Maniage Order ...................................................................................................................................

Reported Number of Chiidren .....................................................................................i.....................

Characteristics of Husband and Wife .......................................................................................................

Age and Marriage Order .....................................................................................................................

Race and Interracial Couples .............................................................................................................

Age at Divorce by Mce ......................................................................................................................

Number of This Marriage ...................................................................................................................

Children of the Divorced .........................................................................................................................

The Race of the ~drm . ................................................................................................................

Children and Age of Pments ...............................................................................................................

References ...............................................................................................................................................

I.&t of Detailed Tables ............................................................................................................................

Appendix: Technical Notes .....................................................................................................................

1.

2.

3.

4

5.

6.

A.

LIST OF FIGURES

Number of divorces: United States, 1940-76 ...................................................................................

Divorce-registration area: 1960, 1970, and 1975 .............................................................................

Divorce rates by age of husband and wife at time of decree: divorce-registration area, 1970 ...........

Estimated divorce rates by duration of maniage at time of decree: United States, 1970 .................

Divorce rates by marriage order of husband and wife: divorce-registration area, 1970 ....................

Regression of the divorce rate per 1,000 population on the percentage of divorcing husbands

married more than once: 22 States, 1970 .....................................................................................

LIST OF TEXT TABLES

Number of States where the divorce rate increased 150 percent or more over the 1960 rate:

United States, 1975 ......................................................................................................................

1

1

1

4

6

7

8

8

9

10

11

11

12

12

12

14

15

16

16

18

19

21

55

3

8

9

10

11

15

5

...

111
‘- Number of States by size of divorce rate: United States, 1960.75 ...................................................

*

C. Number and percent distribution of divorces by metropolitan and nonrnetropolitan areas: United

States and each region, 1970 ......................... ............................................................... ................

D. Percent of divorce certificates on which specified characteristics were stated: divorce-registration

area, 1960, 1970, and 1973 ..........................................................................................................

E. Estimated number of divorces and divorce rates, by duration of marriage at time of decree:

United States, 1970 ......................................................................................................................

F. Divorce rates by reported number of children under 18 years of age, with percent changes:

United States, 1960 and 1969 and divorce-registration area, 1970 ................................................

G. percent distribution of divorces by race of husband and wife: divorce-registration area, 1970 .........

I-L Median and quartile ages of husband and wife at time of decree, by race: divorce-registration

area, 1970 .....................................................................................................................................

J. Percent distribution of husbands and wives by relative number of this marriage of spouse,

according to number of this marriage of husband and wife: divorce-registration area, 1970 .........

K. Average number of marriages of husband and wife, by number of this marriage of spouse:

divorce-registration area, I 97 O......................................................................................................

L. Average number of marriages per divorcing husband and wife: divorce-registration area and 21

selected States, 1970 ................................................ ....................................................................

M. Number and percent distribution of dkorces by number of children under 18 years of age,

according to race: divorce-registration area, 197 O.........................................................................

SYMBOLS

Data not available------—----–--------—--- ---

Category not applicable-———----—-–——- . . .

Quantity zero---–--—–----------—---–-—— -

Quantity more than O but less than 0.05-—- 0.0

Figure does not meet standards of

reliability y or precision–--–---——————— *

6

7

8

10

12

13

14

14

16

16

17

.
DIVORCES AND DIVORCE RATES: UNITED STATES

Alexander A. Plateris, Ph.D., Dzi,i.sion of Vital Stat&tics

SUMMARY

During the decade 1964-73 the number of

divorces and the divorce rate increased rapidly.

This increase continued through 1976 but less

rapidly than in the late 1960’s and early 1970 ‘s.

Rising from 2.2 per 1,000 population in 1962,

the divorce rate had doubled by 1973 and

reached 4.9 per 1,000 population by 1975. In

1975 the number of divorces exceeded 1 million

for the first time ever in the United States.

Provisional data indicated a further increase for

1976; the rate per 1,000 population reached 5.0

and the number approximated 1,077,000. Increases have occurred in almost all States.

Similar increases were found in many foreign

countries.

The 1970 Decennia.I Census provided population bases for various rates that could not be

computed for earlier or subsequent years. These

data were coupled with divorce data from the

divorce-registration area (DRA) to produce specific rates by characteristics of the divorcing

husband and wife and of the marriage that

ended in divorce. The DRA comprised 28 States

in 1970. Presented in this report are specific

rates by age at decree, marriage order, race, and

number of children under 18 years of age for the

DK4 and each reporting State. Rates by duration of marriage at decree were prepared by

assuming the same distribution by duration of

marriage for all divorces in the United States as

for divorces in the divorce-registration area.

Divorce rates by age at decree indicate that

young married persons have the highest likelihood of divorce and that this likelihood declines

with increasing age. In the DRA as a whole the

highest divorce rates for both husbands and

wives were found in the age group 20-24 years.

The divorce rate for husbands and wives

married more than once was much higher than

that for persons married only once. For the

DRA as a whole and for many of the States, the

former rate was at least twice as high as the

latter.

Divorce rates were computed for three racial

groups-white, Negro, and other races. In most

cases the rate for the Negro group was highest,

and that for other races was the lowest; the rate

for the white group fell in between. This pattern

is not uniform, however, and pronounced variation can be found among States.

Rates by number of children under 18 years

of age indicate that couples with minor chiIdren

are less likely to divorce than couples with no

minor children, and that the likelihood of

divorce declines as the number of such children

increases.

Rates by duration of marriage were highest

for the duration intervals of 2 years and 3 years,

and thereafter declined consistently with increasing duration.

The number of children involved in divorce

was affected by the age of the divorcing parents

both at time of decree and at marriage, but the

age at marriage was more important, particularly

the age of the mother.

INCREASES IN DIVORCE

National Figures

During the decade 1964-73, the number of

divorces and the divorce rate increased rapidly.

1
The present increase began in 1963 and was

continuing in 1977. From 1962 to 1973 the

annual divorce total more than doubled (from

413,000 to 915,000), and the divorce rate

doubled (from 2.2 per 1,000 population in 1962

to 4.4 in 1973). From 1973 to 1976 divorces

continued to increase but less rapidly than in the

late 1960’s and early 1970’s. In 1975 the

divorce rate was 4.9 per 1,000 population, 11

percent above the rate for 1973. Also in 1975,

the number of divorces exceeded 1 million for

the first time ever in the United States. Provisional data indicate that approximately

1,077,000 divorces were granted in 1976, bringing the divorce rate to 5.0 per 1,000 population,

a further increase of about 4 percent for the

divorce total and 2 percent for the divorce rate.

The divorce rate per 1,000 married women

increased 94 percent between 1962 and 1973

(from 9.4 to 18.2). From 1973 to 1975, the

latest year for which this rate presently can be

computed, the rate for married women increased

11.5 percent, to 20.3 divorces per 1,000 married

women. Detailed annual figures are shown in

table 1 and figure 1.

During the years 1961-70, 5,137,000 divorces were granted, as compared with

3,838,000 in 1951-60 and 4,141,000 in

1941-50. The large numbers in the 1940’s were

primarily due to the high divorce rate following

World War II; the increase during the 1960’s and

19 70’s had no such obvious cause. In the early

1960’s the rates were similar to those of the

1950’s, and for 9 years (1955-63) they varied

only from 2.1 to 2.3. During that period less

than 1 percent of all married women divorced

annually, but this percent reached 1.0 in 1964,

1.5 in 1970, 1.8 in 1973, and 2.0 in 1975.

The rapid increase in the number of divorces

was due in part to the growth of the married

population and to changes in the age distribution of married persons. The population component of the change may be isolated by

applying one set of age-specific divorce rates to

the married female population for each year

beginning with 1955. The increases in the

number of divorces obtained in this manner may

be considered as due exclusively to the change in

the size and composition of the population

exposed to the risk of divorce. This change

accounted for only a small part of the total

increase: the difference between the national

divorce total for 1975 (1,036,000) and that for

1955 (377,000) was 659,000, and only 97,000

of this number could be attributed to changes in

the population (table 2). This represents (only 15

percent of the total increase. In other words, 85

percent of the 1955-75 increase appears to be

due to other causes, especially to higher rates at

which married persons divorce.

The portion of the increase which can be

assumed to be due to changes in population

declined markedly when the recent increase in

divorces began: for the 1955-63 period this

portion represented 47 percent, for the 1.963-75

period it was 12 percent; the portion of the

increase which can be assumed to be due to

other causes grew accordingly from 53I to 88

percent (table 2).

The increase in divorces took place during a

period in which there was a trend toward

liberalization of dkqrce laws. In 1967 New York

State added three grounds for divorce-cruelty,

desertion, and two years of separation-to its

sole legal ground for divorce—adultery. As a

result of this change, the number of divorces

granted in New York State grew almost eight

times, from 7,136 in 1967 to 55,612 in 1975.

The rate increased correspondhgly from 0.4 per

1,000 population to 3.1.

Several other States introduced new legal

grounds for decree and made other changes to

facilitate divorce. Some States abandoned the

concept of divorce granted to the innocent party

because of the objectionable behavior of the

guilty party, and adopted the concept of marriage dissolution, where neither party is recognized as guilty and a list of legal grounds for

decree is not given in the statutes. Such no-fault

decrees are granted for what the laws describe as

“irreconcilable differences” or “marriage irretrievably broken.” California introduced nofault divorces as of January 1970, and Iowa

made a similar change during 1970. Later many

States followed, and by January 1974, 23 States

had no-fault divorces?

Though in New York, New Jersey, Hawaii,

Delaware, and Florida the changes in the laws

‘Reference 1, p. 404.

I

2
,“

l,loo,ow-

/

I,ooo,con -

sOo,ooo8w,ccO700,000-

%

o

g 6ou,m -

~

0

L

0

K

:

= 500,W0 -

2

4oo,fmo2Jx@cO1

2Lwoo100.COO0- /.

I , 1 , 1 , m I

1940 1945 19eo 1955 1960 Iw 1970 1975 19eo

Figure 1. Number of divorces: United States, 1940-76

and the increases in divorces seem to be associ- introduced no-fault divorces. Conversely, the

ated, it cannot be said that increases in all States rate increased 114 percent in South C&olina

were due to the liberalization of laws. For where there had been no significant changes in

example, during the 1967-73 period the divorce the law.

rates in California and Iowa increased less than The increase in divorce in the United States

the national average, 54 and 45 percent, respec- is part of a worldwide trend. The 1970 divorce

tively, as compared with 69 percent for the rates for 38 countries, including the United

United States, even though these two States States, were compared with those for 1960 in

3
order to ascertain the changes that had occurred

during the decade. These rates are shown in

table 3, where they are listed according to the

size of the increase. The countries were selected

as far as possible from all major areas of the

world, but the choice was limited by the lack of

divorce data in many countries. No country was

included that had an annual national divorce

total less than 500. In eight of the countries

included, the increase was more pronounced

than in the United States, though the rate for

the United States was higher than that for other

countries shown in the table for 1970 and second

highest for 1960. The largest increase, 249 percent, was found in Canada; this increase was four

times that for the United States. The largest decline, 81 percent, occurred in Romania. Of the 37

reporting foreign countries included in the table,

27 showed increases and 10 showed declines.

Almost all countries where the divorce rate

declined are found in Asia and in southeast

Europe. Most of Europe, North America, and

other countries with populations of European

origin experienced increases. several countries

reporting to the Statistical Office of the United

Nations had no legal provisions for granting

absolute divorces, though some annulments and

limited divorces may have been granted. In 1970

these countries were Argentina, Brazil, Chile,

Colombia, Ireland, Italy (until December 1970),

Malta, Paraguay, the Philippines, Santa Lucia,

and Spain.

Particularly interesting developments occurred in the Soviet Union and in Romania. In

the Soviet Union, where divorce laws were

liberalized, the divorce rate doubled from 1963

to 1966, increasing from 1.30 per 1,000 population to 2.77 and declining slightly afterwards. b

In Romania the change was in the opposite

direction: in 1962 the Romanian rate was one of

the highest in the world, 2.04 per 1,000; then it

declined to 1.35 by 1966 and disappeared

completely in 1967, due to drastic changes in

the law.c Since then, the rate has been one of

the lowest, 0.38 per 1,000 in 1970, and only

three countries listed in table 3 had rates lower

than that of Romania: Guatemala, Turkey, and

Portugal.

preference 2, p. 685, table 34, footnote 89.

cZbid., p.683, footnote 77a.

Geographic Distribution

Increases in divorces from 1960 to 1970

varied considerably among regions, divisions,

and States. This is evident from the dkmrce rates

for married women shown by State in table 4.

These rates, shown for 1960 and 1970, can be

computed only once in a decade, when, population bases become available from the clecennial

census.

The national divorce rate per 1,000 married

women increased 62 percent, from 9.2 per 1,000

in 1960 to 14.9 in 1970. For the regions, the

increase ranged from 38 percent in the South to

108 percent in the Northeast, while for both the

North Central Region and the West it was about

66 percent. For. geographic divisions, the increase of the rate per 1,000 married women

ranged from 19 percent in the East South

Central to 119 percent in the Middle .Atlahtic.

The rate more than tripled in New York and

more than doubled in New Jersey, the District

of Columbia, Wisconsin, and Delaware. The rate

grew 50-99 percent in 33 States and less than 50

percent in 11 States. It declined in Alabama and

Nevada. In Alabama early in the decade, divorces declined drastically; they increased later

without reaching the 1960 level. The rate in

Nevada declined even though there’ was a small

increase in the number of divorces grfited (8.1

percent). The decline was probably ccmnected

with the liberalization of divorce laws in California, New York, and other States, which may

have caused a decline in migratory divorces,

while during the same period the population of

Nevada increased 71.3 percent.d

In spite of the changes, the Nevada, divorce

rate per 1,000 married women, 78.1 in 1970,

was 2?42 times as high as the next highest State

rate, 30.6 in Arizona.

Increases of divorce totals from which the

rates were computed were more pronounced

than those of the rates, because the latter take

into consideration the simultaneous growth of

the population. The totals more than tripled in

New York, more than doubled in 14: States,

increased from between 50 and 99 percent in 28

States and the District of Columbia, and in-

‘Reference 3, table 1.
creased less than 50 percent in five States. Total

divorces declined in only one State, Alabama.

Information is not available for one State.

Divorce rates per 1,000 population in each

area are shown for the years 1960 through 1975

in table 5. During this period the national crude

divorce rate increased 123 percent, from 2.2 per

1,000 in 1960 to 4.9 in 1975. The rate more

than tripled in the Northeast (from 0.9 to 3.1),

more than doubled in the North Central (from

2.1 to 4.5), almost doubled in the South (from

2.8 to 5.5), and grew about 90 percent in the

West (from 3.4 to 6.5). For individual States,

the change ranged from an increase of 675

percent in New York, 300 percent in Connecticut, and 253 percent in the District of Columbia

‘to an increase of 61.5 percent in Idaho and 21

percent in Alabama and a decline of 40 percent

in Nevada. In general, in States where the 1960

rates were low the increase was large and where

the 1960 rates were high the increase was small

or nonexistent. The number of States, ~mcluding

the District of Columbia, where the rate increased by 150 percent or more is shown in

table A classified by the size of the 1960 rates.

As the size of State divorce rates is related to

the geographic location of the State, the size of

1960-75 increases exhibits a geographic pattern.

The ku-ge-increase area comprises the Northeast

and North Central Regions and the South

Atlantic Division of the South, while the smaU-

,

increase area includes the remainder of the

South and the West. In the large-increase area,

State divorce rates grew 150 percent or more in

18 of 29 States for which rates are available for

both 1960 and 1975. In the small-increase area,

not one single rate out of 17 showed increases of

this magnitude. Due to these changes, the range

of State divorce rates became narrower. In 1960

the two highest State divorce rates were 29.6 per

1,000 population in Nevada and 5.3 in Alabama,

while the lowest rate was 0.4 in New York;

ratios between the two high rates and the low

rate were 74 and 13, respectively. In 1975 the

highest rates were 17.8 in Nevada and 8.1 in

Alaska, and the lowest rate was 2.7 in North

Dakota and New Jersey; the ratios declined to

6.6 and 3.0.

Changes of the crude divorce rate year by

year can be seen in table B. In 1960, 21 States

had rates of less than 2.0 per 1,000 population,

only 4 States had rates of 4.0 or more, and the

highest rate outside Nevada was 5.3 in Alabama.

In 1970, only 7 States had rates of less than 2.0,

while 18 States had rates of 4.0 or more,

including 2 States with rates between 6.0 and

7.9. In 1975, no State had a rate of less than

2.0, and 35 States had rates of 4.0 or more,

including 16 with rates in the range of 6.0

through 8.1. While the number of States with

low divorce rates (less than 2.0 per 1,000

population) had decreased and the number of

Table A. Number of States where the divorce rate increased 150 parcant or more over the 1960 rate: United States, 1975

[The District of Columbia included as a State]

Increase 1960-75

Less

Divorce rate per 1,000 population, 1960 than

All ;:. 150

States Not

cent per- availor cent able

more or decline

I

Number of States

Total ...................................................................................................................................

Under 1.5 ................................................. ..........................................................................................

1.5-2.4 ..................................................................... ................ ........................................... ................

2.5 and over ................................................................................................................................. .......H

51 18 29 4

13 12 1

17 6 11

18 - 17 1

Not available ................................................................................................................................ ....... . 3-- 3

5
Table B. Number of States by size of divorce rate: United States, 1960-75

[The District of Columbia included as a State ]

Divorce rate 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1889 1988 1967 1968 1965 1854 1883 1882 1881 1880

I

Number of States

Total ...... ......... 51 51 51 51 51 51

Under 1 ... .......... ..... ... ...... - - - - - -

1.01 .9 ..... .................. ..... . - - - - 4 7

2.S2.9 ..... ..... ... .. ........ ..... . 5 6 9 16 13 10

3.03.9 . ..... ..... ..... ..... ... ..... 9 11 11 6 10 14

4.0-4.9 ........... .... ..... ... ...... 10 11 10 11 10 9

5.0-5.9 ..... .......... ........ ...... 9 9 10 8 6

6,0.8.9 . ..... ..... .................. 7 5 4 5 : 1

7.0.7 .9 ..... ..... ..... ............. . 7 6 3 2 1 1

8.0-8.9 .................. .. ... ..... . 1 1 - - - -

9.0 and over .... .. ... ..... ..... . 1 1 1 1 1 1

Not available ...... ....... ..... . 2 1 3 2 2 2

those with high rates (4.0 or more) had increased, the number of those with middle-sized

rates (2.0 through 3.9 ) changed little. However,

the States in the middle category in 1975 were

mostly not the same States that were in this

category in 1960; former low-rate States moved

into the middle-rate category, while many former middle-rate States had high rates in th~

1970’s.

Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas

The great majority pf the American population lives in standard metropolitan statistical

areas (SMSA’S): in 1970, their combined area

was 387,616 square miles, only 11 percent of

the entire land area of the United States;

however, their combined population was

139,418,811, representing 69 percent of the

totaL In the United States, excluding New

England, an SMSA comprises a county or a

group of counties; hence the number of divorces

granted and divorce rates can be easily computed both for individual SMSA’S and for

metropolitan and nonmetropolitan portions of a

State. In New England the SMSA’S do not

necessarily comprise entire counties, and divorce

figures are not available for minor civil divisions.

Consequently, State economic metropolitan

areas are used as equivalents of SMSA’S in New

England.

Altogether, in 1970,72.4 percent of divorces

were granted in the SMSA’S and 27.6 percent

outside of SMSA’S (table C). The divorce rate

for all the SMSA’S combined was 3.7 per 1,000

9

12

12

10

3

1

1

1

2

[

51

1

12

10

13

8

3

1

1

2

51 51 51 51 51

1 1 2 2 2

13 14 15 16 17

13 15 17 15 15

11 11 9 10 10

8 6 5 3 4

1 1 1 2 1

1 - - - -

1 1 1 1 1

2 2 1 2 1

51

2

18

14

11

3

1

1

1 I

51 61

2

18 1;

14 12

11 11

2 2

2 1

1 1

1 3

population (table 6), as compared with 3.1 for

~h~ rest of. the country. The rate per 1,000

married women w=j respectively, 15.7 and 13.0.

In the great majority of regions, divisicms, and

States, the metropolitan rate was higher than the

nonmetropolitan , rate, though the differences

were not pronounced. There were, however, a

few important exceptions: in both divisions of

the Northeast Regkm and in nine States, most of

them in the Northeast, the nonrnetropolitan

divorce rate per 1,000 population was higher

than the metropolitan rate. In’ two additional

States both rates were equal.

The 1970 divorce rates for the metropolitan

portions of all regions, geographic divisions, and

all States, except Nevada, were ‘higher th~ the

comparable rates for 1960 and 1965. The same

was true for nonmetropolitkn portions of all

regions and ‘divisions as well as all States, except

three (Alabam~ Nevada, ahd Rhode Island).

For 1970, rates per 1,000 population “md

per 1,000 married women were computed for

each SMSA. They are shown in table 7 together

with rates per 1,000 population for 1960 and

1965. The 1970 definitions of SMSA’S were

used for computing 1970 divorce rates, but the

1960 definitions were used fok both 1!]60 and

1965. The number of SMSA’S not only increased

from 201 in 1960 to 229 by 1970, but many of

the 201 had had new counties added to them.

Two SMSA’S, Greensboro-High Point and

Winston-Salem, were combined.

Divorce rates for individual SMSA’S follow

the pattern set by State rates: low rates in the

Northeast and parts of the North Central, high

6
Table C. Numbar and percent distribution of divorces by metropolitan and nonmetroPolitan areas: United States and each region, 1970

[ Percents based on reported totals]

Ragion

Area United

Statas North- North

east Central South Wast

,

Metropolitan ..................................................................................................

Nonmetropolitan ...........................................................................................

Total ..............................................................................................

Metropolitan ................. .................................. .................................... ...........

Nonmetropolitan ............................. ........ ..... .................................................

1=Number

708,000 86,000 186,000 242,000 194,000

2504,239 65,294 21~,16fj 2150,324 159,455

2192,573 20,373 248,831 289,133 34,236

Percent distribution

‘:’ EEF=El=

1Figures include .5Stimiik.

21ncomplete.

rates in the West and parts of the South. In spite

of a considerable growth in divorces, the New

York SMSA had the second lowest rate in 1970

followed by Jersey City-1.l and 1.2, respectively, per 1,000 population. The lowest rate,

0:6, was found in the McAllen-Pharr-Edinburg

SMSA that includes Hldalgo County, Texas. In

1960 and 1965 the lowest rate was found in the

New York SMSA, 0.3 in both years (the

McAllen-Pharr-Edinburg SMSA had not yet been

established). The highest divorce rates were

found in two. SMSA’S of Nevada–Reno and Las

Vegas; from 1960 to 1970 they declined in both

areas-in Reno from 43.3 per 1,000 total population to 25.0, in Las Vegas from 30.2 to 18.4.

These decfines were due not to a decline in the

number of decrees granted, but to the increase

of the population. Outside of Nevada, highest

rates in 1970 were found in the Lawton SMSA

(9.7) and the Tulsa SMSA (9.4), both in

Oklahoma. The Oklahoma divorce rates may be

overstated as the resuh of erroneous reporting of

divorce petitions filed rather than divorces

granted.

DIVORCE-REGISTRATION AREA

Numbers of divorces granted are obtained

annually from all States and almost all counties,

but detailed information about characteristics of

husbands and wives as well as about the characteristics of the divorce decree is reported only

from a limited group of States known as the

divorce-registration area (DRA). In 1970, 28

States participated in the DRA reporting. Their

combined divorce total was 429,498, representing 61 percent of the national total. In 1971

South Carolina was added to the DIL4, and in

1975 the DRA included 29 States with 625,676

divorces, 60 percent of all divorces granted in

the country. In 1960, only 18 States were in the

DRA; they reported 94,074 divorces, only 24

percent of the national total for that year

(393,000). The States participating in the DRA

are shown in figure 2. The Virgin IsIands also

participate in the DRA, but their data are not

included in national statistics.

Each year many items are left blank on the

divorce certificate forms, and several DRA

States had to be omitted from the analysis

because of unsatisfactory reporting. Still, in

1970, the proportion of records with items not

reported was much smaller than in 1960, particularly for personal characteristics of the

spouses. A further slight improvement occurred

during the 1970-73 period. The percent completeness of the five major items of information

is shown in table D.

In 1970, the reporting of divorces was

complete enough to support the analysis of such

7
m s. ~ Stat= Ihar part,c, pated in 1960 States added 1961.70

Bzz!%4

States added 1971.75

t?= v. PUERTO

e

-v4,q RICO

HAWAII @

P

VIRGIN

ISLANOS

a

Figure 2. Divorce-registration area: 1960, 1970, and 1975

Tabla D. Percent of divorce certificates on M ich specified

characteristics were stated: divorce-registration area, 1960,

1970, and 1973

[Based on sampIe data J

Characteristic

Age at decree:

Husband .......................................

Wfe ..............................................

Race:

Husband ................... ................ ....

Wife ........................................... ...

Numlxx of this marriage:

Husband .......................................

Wfe .......... ....................................

Duration of marriage ..........................

Children under 18 ..............................

1973 1970 1860

81.6

81.1

79.7

79.6

80.2

80.4

99.0

95.4

Percent

79.0

78.7

75.6

75.4

76.1

76.0

98.2

95.5

58.8

59.2

68.9

69.0

51.1

51.3

95.6

86.5

combined items as age by race, age by marriage

order, and number of children reported by race.

As 1970 was a census year, deta;led population

data made possible the computation of various

specific divorce rates for the DRA and for each

participating State that had a satisfactory level

of completeness in reporting on a given item or

items.

LIKELIHOOD OF DIVORCE

Age at Decree

Population data from the 1970 census

coupled with divorce data from the divorceregistration area made it possible to find partial

8
answers as to the relative likelihood of divorce

among various subcategories of the population.

Divorce rates specific for age at time of decree,

race, marriage order, and number of children

reported were prepared for the divorceregistration area and each State where the

reporting of the variable was at least 75 percent

complete. Lack of population data precluded

the computation of rates by age at time of

marriage and of State rates by duration of

marriage to decree, but national estimates of the

latter were prepared.

Divorce rates by age of husband and wife at

time of decree were computed per 1,000 married population in each age-sex category (table 8

and figure 3). In the DRA and in most States

they presented the following pattern: the

highest age-specific rate for both men and

women was found in the 20-24-year age group.

The rate declined with increasing age to a

minimum for the oldest age group, 65 years and

over. The differences between age-specific rates

were very pronounced: in the DRA the highest

rate for men (33.6) was almost 18 times as high

as the lowest rate (1.9). For women this ratio

35 1

0 -1+ 1 , r # , I , f

,. 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 w 65 70

AGE AT DECREE

Figure 3. Divorce rates by age of husband and wife at time of

decree: divorce-registration area, 1970

was stili greater: the highest rate (33.3) was

almost 26 times as high as the lowest (1.3).

The divorce rate for women under 20 years

of age was in all States except. Idaho higher than

the comparable rate for men, while rates for the

age groups 25-29 years and over were higher in

all States for men. The rate for the 20-24-yearold group was higher for men in 10 States and

for women in 12 States.

How did age-specific rates change during the

1960-70 decade? For 1960, age-specific rates are

available only for four States: Hawaii, Iowa,

Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The comparison of

these rates with 1970 figures for the same States

indicates that there were marked differences

between age groups in the changes that took

place over the decade (table 9). The largest

increases were observed for husbm.ds and wives

25-44 years old; for both extremes of the age

spectrum-the groups under 20 years and 50

years old and older–the increases were small,

and in a few instances declines occurred.

Duration of Marriaga

Age at decree is related to duration of

marriage. These two characteristics necessarily

change over time, while others, such as race,

marriage order, or age at marriage, remain

constant throughout the Iife of the individual or

through the duration of a given marriage; still

others (education, number of children) may

change in time or may not. It is obvious that

persons who divorce young can be married only

a short period of time and that for each age

group there is an approximate upper level of

marriage duration. Because of this similarity,

duration-specific divorce rates could be expected

to behave in a manner similar to that of agespecific rates, and estimated national durationspecific rates support this view. (These rates

could not be computed for individual States and

for the DRA because population bases were not

available. However, national estimates of divorces by duration, based on DRA data, were

prepared for use in computing national rates.

The methods used to compute the national

estimates are described in the appendix.) The

duration-specific rates increased slightly in the

very early years of marriage, reached a maximum between the second and the fourth marriage anniversary, then declined consistently and

9
Table E. Estimated number of divorces and divorce rates, by

duration of marriage at time of decree: United States, 1970

[Based on sample data. For estimating procedures and sour.es of

population data, see appendix ]

Duration of marriage

All divorces .. ........ ..................

Lass than 1 year .................. ...................

1 year ............................................ ...... ...

2 yeae ....................................................

3 yearn ....................................................

4 yea~ ....................................................

5 yearn ....................................................

6 yearn ....................................................

7 yaars ....................................................

8 yaars ................................ ...... ..............

9 years ....................................................

10-14 years .............................................

15-19 years ..... ........................................

20-24 years .............................................

25-29 years .............................................

30 years or more ....................................

Numlm

of

divorces

708,000

34,000

60,000

66,000

60,000

54,000

49,000

40,000

35,000

29,000

26,000

98,000

64,000

50,000

24,000

18,000

Divorce

rate

14.9

28.2

33.7

39.2

39.4

37.3

34.7

29.9

28.4

24.7

21.9

16.9

11.4

7.8

5.0

1.6

DURATION OF MARRIAGE AT DECREE IIN YEARS)

Figure 4. Estimated divorce rates by duration of marriage at

time of decree: United States, 1970

almost disappeared after 30 years of marriage,

when only 1 couple out of 625 divorced (table E

and figure 4). The question remains open: Which

of the two variables, age or duration, has a

stronger influence on the likelihood of divorce;

that is, what would happen to the duration rate

if age were held constant, and vice versa?

Race

The likelihood of divorce varies between

racial groups of the same State and within the

same racial group in different States (table 10).

Race-specific rates were computed per 1,000

married men and women in a racial group. In the

vast majority of reporting States in the DRA the

divorce rates for Negroes were the highest; those

for combined races other than white or Negro

were the lowest, and the rates for the white

group fell in between. In many reporting States

of the North and the West differences were

marked between the rates for white men and

women and those for the Negroes, and in several

States the rates for Negroes were more than

twice as high as rates for the white group. This

difference was much less noticeable in the

South, and in two reporting States of that

region, Georgia and Tennessee, rates for white

persons were higher; this was the case also for

men in Alaska, but not for women.

Rates for other races are difficult to analyze

as racial composition varies from area to area.

Also, in many States the rates were computed

from small numbers of divorces subject to a very

high sampling variability and should be used

only as rough approximations. The range of

variation between the rates for persons of other

races was very wide: the lowest rates for this

group were zero for women in Tennessee and

Vermont and 0.9 p :r 1,000 for women in Rhode

Island; the highest was 44.1 for men in Montana.

The racial composition of the “other” group

may be quite different in these States. The

divorce rate for white persons ranged from 5.8

for women in New York to 26.7 for women in

Alaska. For Negroes, the lowest rate was 9.3 for

women in New York; the highest reliable rate

was 33.1 for men in Wisconsin. Still higher rates

for Negro men (73.5, Idaho; 34.7, Utah; 34.2,

Montana) were based on Negro male populations

of less tk.an 1,000.

From 1960 to 1970 divorces of white

persons increased more than those of Negroes or

of persons of other races as shown in table 11

for the total of four States for which 1960 rates

are available. In Iowa, Tennessee, and Wisconsin,

where reliable rates exist for the white population and for Negroes, the increase for the white

group was much larger than for the Negro, and

in Iowa the Negro divorce rates actually declined. In Hawaii, where there are many persons

of other races but few Negroes, the increase for

/

10
the white population was greater than for the

“other” group. The 1970 rates in table 11 differ

from those in table 10, as they were computed

per 1,000 total population aged 15 years and

over, rather than per 1,000 married population,

in order to be comparable to the 1960 rates.

Marriage Order

The term “marriage order” refers to the

classification of married persons into two categories: those married once and those married

more than once. One of the most clear-cut

findings from the 1970 divorce data is the high

likelihood of divorce for persons who have been

married more than once, when compared to

those who have been married only once (figure

5). In the divorce-registration area the divorce

rate for the remarried men and women was more

than twice that for the first married, and the

same was true for over one-half of the reporting

States (table 12). No such rates have been

computed previously, and the high likelihood of

divorce among the remarried could be only

once mm U

~ Ona

HUSBAND

x

2!

2f

15

10

5

0

I

—

— Tad Married Marrim

once more thm

I onceI

I I

WIFE

Figure 5. Divorce rates by marriage order of husband and wife:

divorce-registrati& area, 1970

deduced from indirect data.4 Rates in table 12

prove that this inference was correct.

Reported Number of Children

The presence of minor chikh-en and their

number affects the likelihood of divorce (table

13). In the DRA and all reporting States the

divorce rate for couples with no children under

18 years was higher than for couples who

reported minor children. For the DRA the two

rates for 1970 were 26.1 and 15.0 per 1,000

couples. However, it must be recognized that

couples who reported no children under 18

years of age are a composite group that includes

young couples that have had no time to start a

famiIy, childless couples of any age and duration

of marriage, and couples with all children aged

18 years or more. Pronounced differences might

be expected among divorce rates for the three

subgroups but there are no data for computing

such rates.

Differences between rates for couples with

children and without children were smallest in

the Northeast, particularly in Connecticut and

Vermont. On the other hahd, in several

Southern and Western States the rate for childless couples was twice as high as that for couples

with children.

Within the group that reported children, the

rate declined with each added child: the DIL4

rate was 19.1 per 1,000 coupIes with 1 child,

15.1 for those with 2 children, and 11.3

for those with 3 or more children. Divorce rates

by number of children were generally lowest in

the Northeast and highest in the West. For all

categories shown in table 13, except that with

three or more children, the lowest available

State rate in the West was higher than the

highest State rate in the Northeast. Rates for

States in the North Central and Southern

Regions were similar and fell in between the

rates found in the other two regions.

State divorce rates by number of children

were computed for the first time for 1970, but

national rates were estimated for 1960 and

1969. In tabIe F these rates are compared with

the DRA rates for 1970. There was a considerable increase for all rates from 1960 to 1970 and

a slight increase from 1969 to 1970, but in both

cases the rate for divorces of couples with

11
Table F. Divorce rates by reported number of children under 18 years of age, with percent changes: United States, 1960 and 1969 and

divorce-registration area, 1970

[Based on sample data. For estimating procedures and sources of population data, see appendix]

DRA United States Percent increase

Number of children

1970 1969

I

1960 1960-70 1969-70

All divorces ................................................................................................ ..

NO children reported .........................................................................................

Children reported ............................................................................................. .

1 child . .........................................................................................................................

2 children

3 chiIdren:IIlljjIIIJuII; ;;:j:ul:In:;u:Ijl;:;j;;IIlnII; j:j:IyIJIuI:;I;;;:;jInl;j;n:l::nlIluRnlInII;l::jR;ljlIIIjljljR:: nIIljjlj

4 children

5children I::IIJIuIII:::j;:; IIIIllJjlJllJl~ jl;:c:;l::jl:l:llI; I:IIl;;IIJ;Ijj;;j; ;::j;J:J;lI;c::IIjlHl:lIII;;J: jE;n;ll:jj;IIljRl

6 children or more .................................................................... ....................................

Rate

18.1 17.4 11.5 j 57.4 4.0

26.1 25.6 18.7 39.6 2.0

15.0 14.4 8.9 68.5 4.2

19.1 17.2 11.4 67.5 11.0

15.1 14.4 8.6 75.6

1

4.9

12.7 7.9

11.3 111.4

}“ /

10.7 ~.o ‘--

. . .

10.4

lThe 1969 rate for couples with 4 children or more Was 11.0.

children reported increased more than that of

couples with no children under 18 years. The

percent increase for the former was 68.5 for the

years 1960-70 and 4.2 for 1969-70, and for the

latter, 39.6 and 2.0, respectively.

CHARACTERISTICS OF

HUSBAND AND WIFE

Age and Marriage Order

The divorcing persons were unevenly distributed by age, and, as would be expected, this

distribution varied markedly according to the

marriage order (table 14). In 1970 the great

majority of those who had been married only

once were under age 35, while the majority of

those who had been married more than once

were more evenly dktributed in the age groups

25-29 years through 45-49.

Almost all men and women who divorced

young had been married only once (table 15).

Among men 20-24 years old, the remarried

represented only 5.0 percent; this percent was

8.8 for women of the same age. The proportion

of the remarried increased with age and reached

over 50 percent in the 55-59-year age group for

men and in the 50-54-year age group for women.

Among divorcing persons 65 years old and older

the remarried group comprised about threequarters of both husbands and wives.

The median age at decree for the entire DlL4

was 30.5 years for husbands married once and

27.9 years for wives married once. The median

age at decree for the remarried was more than

10 years higher than that for the first married of

the same sex, 41.6 and 38.2 years, respectively

(table 16). Similar differences were found in

individual States. For men, this difference was 9

years or more in all reporting States and for

women it was less in 2 of the 22 States for

which the medians were computed.

As expected, median ages for the wives in all

States were lower than median ages for husbands

of the same marriage order. In most States the

difference between the two medians was more

pronounced when husbands and wives had been

married more than once than when they had

been married only once. For persons married

once the largest difference between age medians

was 3.5 years (New York); for persons married

more than once the greatest difference was 5

years or more in two States: 5.2 years in Alaska

and 5.6 years in Idaho.

Race and Interracial Couples

In almost 99 percent of all divorces granted

during 1970 in the reporting States combined,

husband and wife were of the same racial

group-both white, both Negro, or both belonged to other races (table 17); here are also

12
Table G. Percent distribution of divorces by race of husband and wife: divorce-registration area, 1970

[Based on sample data. Michigan and Ohio do not report race]

Race of spouse

Race of husband and wife Total

White I

Negro Other

Husband I

Total ................................................................................................................................

r

100.0

White ..................................................~............................................................................................. 100.0

Negro ............................................................................................................................................... 100.0

Other ................................................................................................................................................ 100.0

Wife I

Total ................................................................................................................................

F

100.0

White .......................................................................................................................................... ......

Negro

100.0

............................................................................................................................................ ... 100.0

Other ................................................................................................................................ ................ 100.0

incIuded couples where spouses were of two

different races classified in the “other” category,

but this could have little effect on the percentages, as numbers of divorcing persons of other

races were very small, and three-fourths of all

“other” husbands and wives divorced in two

States, California and Hawaii.

In all States, except Hawaii, white couples

represented over 80 percent of all divorcing

couples. This percentage varied horn 81.3 percent in Georgia to 99.5 percent in Vermont; it

was high in rural States of the North and the

West and comparatively low in the South and in

the industrialized Northern States, where a high

proportion of the population is Negro. Negro

couples represented more than 10 percent of the

divorced in Georgia (18.5 percent), Maryland

(16.7), Virginia (16.3), New York (15.8), IIIinois

(14.6), Tennessee (1 1.1), hlissouri (10.9), and

Connecticut (10.3). On the other hand, less than

1 percent of divorcing couples were Nego in

Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Vermont.

The “other” group was very small: it comprised

more than 1 percent of all divorcing couples in

only three States: Hawaii (38. 1 percent), Alaska

(7.4), and Montana (4.8). In seven reporting

States no couples of other races were divorced,

or, at least, no divorce certificate of a couple in

the “other” category was included in the random sample; this was true of Illinois, Kentucky,

,rcent distribution

89.3 9.6

m

1.1

99.4 0.1 0.5

2.8 86.9 0.3

33.4 2.0 64.6

+E89.2 9.8 1.1

99.3 0.3 0.4

1,0 98.8 0.2

36.6 2.6 60.8

Missouri, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Vermont.

Only 1.2 percent of alI couples who divorced

in 1970 in the reporting States were racially

mixed (excluding racially mixed coupIes within

the “other” group); in only three States w&-

this percent 2.0 or more: 22.4 percent in

Hawaii, 6.5 in Alaska, and 2.0 in Montana. Over

33 percent of divorcing men and women in the

“other” category had white or Negro spouses

(table G). When the two outlying States, Hawaii

and Alaska, are excIuded, this percentage increases to over 40.

The numbers of interracial divorces were

small: in the entire DIL4 only 3,772 such

divorces were reported and only 3,088 when

Hawaii and Alaska were omitted. Of the latter

total, 1,786 couples (57.8 percent) were white-

“other,” the husband being white and the wife

“other,” more often than vice versa. The number of white-Negro couples was 1,155, or 37.4

percent of all interracial divorces. Couples where

the husband was Negro and the wife white were

about three times as numerous than those with a

white husband and a Negro wife. Similar relationships were observed among intemacial mzuriages performed in 1967.e The number of

Negro-’’other” couples was very small; only 162

‘Reference 5, p. 20.

13
such cases were reported in the entire DIL4, less

than 5 percent of all interracial divorces.

Age at Divorce by Race

The three racial groups had slightly different

age distributions at time of decree. White men

and women tended to divorce slightly younger

than did the Negro or “other” men and women.

The differences were most noticeable at young

ages and grew less pronounced as age advanced.

In 1970 persons who were under 25 years of age

at time of divorce represented 17.8 percent of

divorcing white men, 10.7 percent of Negro

men, and 13.0 percent of the “other” men. For

women, comparable percentages were 29.9,

20.9, and 22.0 (table 18). In the DRA, median

and quartile ages were lowest for the white

husbands and wives (table H). The medkn ages

for Negro husbands and wives were higher than

for white persons, but lower than for the

“other” persons.

The differences between medians for white

persons and Negroes were much more pronounced than were comparable differences

between the Negroes and persons of “other”

races.

Table H. Madian and quartile ages of husband and wife at time

of decree, by race: divorce-registration area, 1970

[Based on sample data. Michigan and Ohio do not report race]

I Age in years

Rata First

MediThird

quar- an quartile tile

Husband I II

All races .... .......... ...... ........ 26.7 33.1

[ b

42.8

White .......................... ......................

Negro ................................................

Other ................................. ...............

26.6 I

32.9

28.2 34.7

28.1 35.3

42.8

43.5

44.4

Wife Ill

All races ............................

w

24.2 29.8 39.5

White ................................................ 24.0 29.7 39.4

Negro ................................................ 25.9 31.5 40.3

Other ................................................ 25.7 31.9 39.8

Median, ages at time of divorce were computed for racial groups in 23 States in the DRA

(table 19). These medians followed the same

pattern as medians for the entire DRA. In the

overwhelming majority of States (13 out of 17

Table J. Percent distribution of husbands and wives by relative number of this marriage of spouse, according to number of this marriage

of husband and wife: divorce-registration area, 1970 -

[Based on sample data. Nebraska does not report the number of this marriage J

Number of this marriage of husband and wife

Husband

Total ............................................................ ...............................................................

First marriWe ..............................................................................................................................

8acond marriage ........... ....................................................................... ........................................

Third marriWe .............................................................................................................................

Fourth marriage ............................................................................................................. .............

Fifth marriage .............................................................................................................................

8ixth marri~e .............................................................................................................................

Wife

Total ................................................................................................... ........................

First marriage ...................................................................................................................... ........

%eond marriage ..........................................................................................................................

Third marriage .................................................................................................... .........................

Fourth marriage ......................................................................................................... .................

Fifth marriage ................................................................... ....................................... ............... ....

8ixth marri~e ......................................................... .........~..........................................................

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

Percent distribution

11.3

~

37:4

67.6

84.8

90.7

98.8

?1.9

~

. . .

38.9

67.6

82.4

91.3

98.6

76.8

~

88.3

48,3

24.9

13.2

5.0

1.2

76.8

~

89.0

47.1

23.9

13.3

5.6

1.4

11.9

11.7

14.3

7.4

2.0

4.3

. . .

11.3

11.0

14.0

8.4

4.3

3.1

. . .

14
for men and 12 out of 17 for women), the

median age at time of decree was lower for the

white men and women than that for Negroes of

the same sex. The largest difference was 4.8

years (for women in Maryland). The median age

of Negroes was lower than that of “other”

persons in the three States where reliable information on both groups was available.

Median age by race for 1959 was recomputed for 12 States. (The original medians were

computed from single-year data, and hence not

quite comparable to 1970 medians.) As 1959

data show only the two color groups “white”

and “all other,” 1970 medians were prepared for

Negro and “other” persons combined (table 20).

From 1959 to 1970 there was a pronounced

decline in the median ages at divorce for both

sexes and both racial groups. Medians for white

husbands and wives were prepared for all 12

reporting States, but data for all other races

were unsatisfactory in a few States. Altogether,

40 comparisons could be made; 37 were declines, 2 were increases, and 1 showed no change.

The largest decline was almost 13 percent for

Negro and “other” women in Tennessee.

Numtsarof This Marriaga

About 75 percent of the men and women

who divorced during 1970 in the DRA had been

married only once, and about 20 percent twice;

the remainder were married more times, some

had as many as six or more marriages (table 21 ).

Irrespective of how many times divorcing persons had been married, the modal number of

marriages of their spouses was one or two.

Almost 90 percent of persons who have been

3

marrie nce had a spouse who also has been

married rice; over 80 percent of those who had

been married twice had a spouse married once or

twice. Spouses of persons married two, three,

four, five, and six or more times had a modal

number of two marriages. In 77 percent of all

cases the number of this. marriage of husband

and of wife was the same, and the remainder was

divided approximately equally between husbands who were married more times than their

wives and vice versa (table J). The more times a

person was married, the lower the likelihood

that the spouse was married the same number of

times; the proportion declined from almost 90

percent for those married once to 1 percent for

those married six or more times. In the reporting

States there was a pronounced positive association between the percent of divorcing persons

married more than once and the divorce rate of .

a State: the correlation coefficient based on

observations for 22 States was .93 (figure 6).

As a summary measure of the distribution of

divorces by number of t.hk marriage, average

numbers of marriages were computed by multiplying the number of marriages reported by the

number of persons reporting it, summing the

products, and dividing them by the total number

of persons (table K). In the DIU, divorcing

persons had on the average 1.3 marriages, and

this average varied depending on the number of

marriages of the spouses: husbands and wives

of persons married once had on the average 1.1

marriages; wives of husbands married 5 times

8

1

oL————— 10 a m 40 50

PERCENT OF REMARRIED HUSBANDS

Figure 6. Regression of the divorce rate per 1,000 population on

the percentage of divorcing husbands married more than

once: 22 States, 1970

16
had on the average 2.5 marriages; and husbands

of wives married 5 times had 2.7 marriages. For

individual States the average number of marriages ranged from 1.14 marriages for husbands

Tabla K. Average number of marriages of husband and wife, by

number of this marriage of spouse: divorce-registration

area, 1970

[Based on sample data. Nebraska does not report number of this

marriage ]

Number of this marriage

of spouse

Average number of marriages

I

Husband I

Wife

All marriages ................................. .... 1.3 1.3

I

First marriage ...................................................

Second marriage ...............................................

Third marriage ..................... .............................

Fourth marriage ................................................

Fifth marriage ...................................................

Sixth marriage or more .....................................

1.1

1.8

2.2

2.4

2.7

2.6

1.2

1.8

2.2

2.4

2.5

2.5

Table L. Avarage number of marriages per divorcing husband and

wife: divorce-registration area and 21 selected States, 1970

[Based on sample data. Nebraska does not report number of this

marriage ]

Area

Divorce-registration area ...................

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

California ..........................................................

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

Hawaii ........................................................... ...

ldaho ................................................................

Illinois ..............................................................

Iowa ........ .........................................................

Kansas ..............................................................

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

Maryland .................. ...... ..................................

Missouri ............................................................

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

New York ................ .........................................

Oregon ............................ ..................................

Pennsylvania ................................................... ..

Rhode Island ........................... .........................

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

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

Vermont ......... ..................................................

Virginia .............................................................

Wisconsin ................. .........................................

Average nu mber of marriages

Husband

1.33

1.49

1.44

1.18

1.33

1.51

1.30

1.34

1.37

1.36

1.20

1.44

1.45

1.14

1.49

1.15

1.17

1.34

1.38

1.20

1.23

1.21

Wife

1.33

1.44

1.42

1.18

1.28

1.48

1.32

1.34

1.37

1.33

1.18

1.44

1.44

1.14

1.45

1.16

1.17

1.35

1.39

1.18

1.22

1.20

and wives divorced in New York to 1.51

marriages for husbands and 1.48 for wives

divorced in Idaho (table L).

CHILDREN OF THE DIVORCED

The Race of the Children

The race of children of divorced couples was

assigned according to the race of their parents.

When both parents belonged to the same racial

group, their children were automatically assigned to the same group. In the cases where the

race of the two parents differed, and one parent

was white, children were assigned to the racial

group of the other parent. Children of Negro-

“other” couples were assigned the Negro group.

When race was reported for only one parent,

children were assigned to that racial group.

The number of children under 18 years in a

family broken by divorce depends little upon

their race, though some small differences between racial groups could be observed (table M).

The proportion of divorcing couples that reported no children was almost exactly the same

for the three racial groups. Data do not indicate

what proportion of the group reporting no

children under 18 years of age was childless and

what proportion had only grown children 18

years old and older. Small families with one or

two children were slightly more prevalent among

divorcing white couples than among Negroes or

couples of “other” races. Large families, having

four or more children were proportionally most

numerous among the couples of “other” “races

and least numerous among white couples; the

percents were 11.1 for the “other” group, 8.9 for

Negroes, and 6.4 for the white group. A similar

pattern can be observed in most reporting

States.

From the distribution of couples by race and

number of children, the number of all children

involved in divorces wanted during 1970 was

computed for racial groups (table 22). In the

DRA, excluding Michigan and Ohio, 88 percent

of all children involved in divorce were white, 10

percent were Negro, and about 2 percent belonged to other racial groups. Not all racial

groups were represented among the children

involved in divorce in each State: in Missouri,

Tennessee, and V@@a there were no “other”

16
Table M. Number and percent distribution of divorces by number of children under 18 years of age, according to race:

divorce-registration area, 1970

[Based on sample data. Michigan and Ohio do not report race and are excluded from the total]

I II Number of children under 18 years of age

Race Total.

None 1 2 3 4 5

6 or Not

more stated

I

Number

Total ....................................... ..

White ........................................................

Negro ............................................. ...........

Other .............................. .................... ......

Not stat@ ............................. ....................1

360,188 138,607 84,398 63,478 31,878 14,084 5,361 3,374 18,998

288,346 112,915 69,092 52,224 26,050 11,286 4,052 2,318 10,388

32,007 12,545 7,337 5,189 2,831 1,385 766 582 1,372

4,726 1,859 1,034 766 397 253 131 122 144

35,108 11,288 6,935 5,279” 2,600 1,160 412 352 7.083

I

Percent distribution

Total ................... ...................... ., 100.0 40.6 24.7 18.6 9.3 4.1 1.6 1.0 . . .

White ........................ .......... ...................... 100.0 40.6 24.9 18.8 9.4 4.1 1.5 0.8 . . .

Negro ........................... ............................. 100.0 40.9 23.9 16.9 9.2 4.5 2.5 1.9 . . .

Other ........................................................ 100.0 40.6 22.6 17.2 8.7 5.5 2.9 2.7 . . .

children involved, and in Vermont there were

only white children. The lowest proportion of

white children in the continental United States

was found in Georgia (79.1 percent) and in

Virginia (81.9 percent); in Alaska and Hawaii

this percent was still lower (77.3 and 30.8

percent). Georgia and Virginia had highest percents of Negro children involved in divorce, 20.4

and 18.1 percent, respectively. Outside of the

South, highest percents of Negro children were

found in Illinois (16.0) and New York (14.8);

while in Idaho, Montana, and Oregon, they

represented 1 percent or less of the total. The

percent of children of “other” races was very

small in the great majority of reporting States;

the exceptions were Hawaii, where 69.2 percent

of children involved in divorce belonged to the

“other” races, Alaska, with 18.2 percent, and

Montana with 10.0 percent. The number of

“other” children was large in Ca.hfornia (2,100)

but the percent was low (1.7).

As shown in table 22, in the DRA, the

average number of children per decree was

lowest for the white population (1.19), slightly

higher for Negroes (1.28), and highest for the

“other” group (1.36). For white children the

State averages varied between 1.02 and 1.76, for

Negroes, between 0.88 and 1.91, and for

“other” children between 0.58 and 2.23. In 11

reporting States the average number per decree

was highest for Negro children, in 5 States, for

“other” children, and in 7 States for white

children. The number of children per decree

does not indicate the actual size of divorcing

families, as in a large proportion of divorces

there are no children under 18 years of age. The

actual average number of chiMren per family

that had children is also shown in table 22. In

the DRA there were on the average 2.01 white

children per divorcing couple with children, 2.18

Negro children, and 2.30 “other” children.

The rates of children under 18 years of age

of a given race involved in divorce per 1,000

children of the same race in the population

(including those of widowed, divorced, and

single parents) are given for 1970 in table 23.

The pattern shown by the rates differs from that

shown by the averages, and often the group that

had the lowest average in a State had the highest

rate. For the DRA, the average was lowest for

white children, but the rate for white children

was the highest. State rates were compared if at

least 50 children of a racial group were involved

in divorce and at least 1,000 children of that

17
race were found in the State population. Rates

for white and Negro children were compared in

19 States, andin 11 of these States the rate for

white children was higher; in 8 States the rate

for Negro children was higher. In all five

reporting Southern States the rate for white

children was higher than that for Negro children.

Rates for “other” children were in the majority

of cases (7 out of 11) lower than those for white

children. Particularly clear cut is the difference

between Negro and “other” rates, as in all eight

States for which comparisons could be made the

Negro rate was higher.

Children and Age of Parents

The number of children of divorcing couples

is associated with the age of husband and of

wife, both with the age at time of divorce and

the age at time of marriage. In general, the more

children under 18 years that were reported the

higher was the median age of both spouses at

decree (table 24). The median age of the

divorcing mother was 26.2 years when only one

child was reported, and this median increased

consistently to 35.8 years when the number of

children was six or more (table 24). Comparable

medians for divorcing fathers were 28.9 and

39.2 years, respectively. Similar increases were

observed for the first and third quartiles. Such a

pattern could be expected: on the average, the

younger the age of the divorcing parents, the less

time they have had to bear children. There was,

however, an important exception to this pattern;

median ages of persons reporting no children

under 18 were higher than medians of parents of

one child and of two children. This was due to

the composite character of the group reporting

no children, as this group included not only

childless couples, but also middle-aged couples

with all children grown. The comparatively high

medians for husbands and wives reporting no

children were primarily due to the latter group.

The proportion with no chddren declined from

over 50 percent of men and women divorced

while still under 20 years of age to a minimum

of about 25 percent for persons in their thirties,

and then increased to a maximum of 75 percent

of men and 87 percent of women in the oldest

age group that was tabulated, 50 years and over

(table 25). The percent of persons reporting no

children was about twice as high among those

who divorced at age 50 and over as among all

those who divorced in 1970.

Persons who divorce young tend to have no

children or ‘few children. Divorcing persons who

were married young tended to have mare children than those who were married when they

were older. The median age at marriage for

divorcing wives declined from 23.5 years for the

group reporting no children to 19.5 for those

reporting one child, then the decline became

more gradual and reached 18.5 years for women

reporting six or more children (table 24). The

median age at marriage of the husband does not

present such a clear-cut pattern. In the combined 23 States satisfactorily reporting age at

decree and at marriage, 413,300 children were

involved in divorce in 1970. Their distribution

by age of parents and their average per decree

are shown in table 26.

These data indicate tha~- die number of

children involved in divorce is affected by the

age of the divorcing parents at time of decree

and at marriage, but the age at marriage is more

important, particularly the mother’s age at

marriage. Data in table 26 show that 59 percent

of all children involved in divorce had a mother

who married when she was under 20 years of

age, 89 percent had a mother who married when

she was under 25 years, and 96 percent had a

mother who married when she was under 30.

The comparable percents for the father were 25,

74, and 90, respectively. No such concentration

was found when the children were distributed

by age of father and mother at decree.

000

18
1council of

States, 1972-73.

ments, 1972.

REFERENCES ~

State Governments: The Book of the 5National’ Center for Health Statistics: Marriages:

Lexington, Ky. Council of State Govern- Trends and characteristics, United States. Vital and

Health Statistics. Series 21-No. 21. DHEW Pub. No.

2Statistical Office of the United Nations: Denzographic Yearbook, 1968. New York. United Nations,

1969.

3U.S. Bureau’ of the Census: U.S. Census of Populiztion, 1970. Number of Inhabitants. Nevada Final

Report PC(l) -A30. Washington. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1971.

4National Center for Health Statistics: Divorce statistics analysis, United States, 1964 and 1965. Vital and

Health Statistics. PHS Pub. No. 1000 -Series 2 l-No. 17.

Public Health Service. Washington. U.S. Government

Printitig Office, Oct. 1969.

(HSM) 72-1007. Health Services and Mental Health Administration. Washington. U.S. Government Printing

Office, Sept. 1971.

6U.S. Bureau of the Census: U.S. Census of Population, 1970. Detailed Characteristics. State Volumes.

Final Report PC(l) -D. Washington. U.S. Government

Printing Office, 1971.

7National Center for Health Statistics: Computation

of Duration-Specific Divorce Rates, by A. Plateris,

Technical Information”Notes, No. 51. Division of Analysis,

Rockville, Md., Oct. 23, 1973. Mimeographed.

.

19
LIST OF DETAILED TABLES

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10,

11.

12.

13.

14,

15,

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

Number of divorces and divorce rates with percent changes from preceding year: United States, 1840-76 .................................

Annual changes in divorce totals and cumulative changes since 1955 due to changes in population and to other causes: United

States, 1955.75 ............................................................................................................................................................................

Divorce rates per 1,000 population, with percent changes: United States and selected foreign countrias, 1960 and 1970 ...........

Number of divorces and divorce rates per 1,000 married women, with percent changes: United Statas, each region, division,

and State, 1960 and 1970 ............................................................................................................................................................

Divorce rates per 1,000 population: United Statas, each region, division, and State, l=.75 ................... ............................ ......

Divorce rates for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas: United States, each ragion, division, and State, 1960, 1965, and

1970 ........................................................................................................................................... ............................ .....................

Divorce rates: each standard metropolitan statistical area, 1960,1965, and 1970 .......................................................................

Divorce rates by age of husband and wife et time of decree: divorce-registration area and 22 selected States, 1970 ....................

Divorce rates and percent changes by age of husband and wife at time of decree: 4 selectad States, 1660 and 1970 ...................

Divorce rates by race of husband aqd wife: divorce-ragistretion area and 23 selected States, 1970 ..............................................

Divorce rates and percent changesby race of husband and wifa: 4 selected States, 1960 and 1970 .............................................

Marriage-ordar specific divorce ~ates for husbands and wives: divorce-registration area and 21 selected States, 1970 ..................

Divorce rates by reported number of children under 18 yeers of age: divorca~egistratlon area and each State, 1970 ..................

Percent distribution of divorcing husbands and wives by agaet time of decree, according to marriage orden divorce-registration

area, 1970 ................................................................................................................................ ................................ ....................

Percent distribution of divorces by marriage order of husband and wife, according to age at time of decree: divorce+egistretion

area, 1970 ................................................................................................................................. ................................ ...................

Median age of husband and wife at tima of decree, by race, with percent changes: 12 selected States, 1959 and 1970 ................

Parcent distribution of c@orcesby race of hustand and wife: divorce-registration area and 23 selected States, 1970 ..................

Percent distribution of divorces by age at time of decrea, according to race of husband and wife: divorce-registration area,

1970 ................................................................................................................................ ................................. ...........................

Median age of husband and wife at time of decree, by race: divorce-registration area and 23 selected States, 1970 ....................

Median age of husband and wife at time of decrae, by race, with PerCant changes: 12 selected States, 1959 and 1970 ................

Percent distribution of divorces by number of this marriage of husband and wife, by number of this marriage of spouse:

divorce-registration area, 1970 ................................................................................................................................ .....................

Estimatad number of children under 18 years of age involved in divorce, average number of children per decree, and averaga

number of children per decree for couples with children, by race: divorce-registration area and 23 selected States, 1970 ...........

23

24

25

26

28

32

37

40

41

42

43

44

44

45

46

46

47

48

49

50

21
23. Rate of children involved in divorce per.1 ,000 children under 18 years of age, by race: divorce-registration area and 23 selected

States, 1970 ......................................................................................................... ........................................ ............................ .... 51

24. Median and quartile ages of husband and wife at time of decree and at marriage, by number of children under 18 years of age:

divorce-registration area, 1970 ...................................................... ...................................................................................... ......... 52

25. Percent distribution of divorces by number of children under 18 years of age, according to age of husband and wife at time of

decree and at marriage: total 23 selected States, 1970 .................................................................. ............................................... 53

26. Number of children under 18 years of a~e involved in divorce, averacre number of children per decree. and average number of

children per decree for couples with children, by age of husband and wife at time of decree and at marriage: total 23 selected

States, 1970 ......................... ........................................................................................................................................................ 54

22
Table 1. Number of divorc& and divorce rates with percent changes from preceding years: United States, 1840-76

.

Year

19761 ...............................................................................................

1975 .................................................................................................

1974 .................................................................................................

1973 .................................................................................................

1972 .................................................................................................

1971 .................................................................................................

1970 .................................................................................................

ls9 .................................................................................................

19a .................................................................................................

lw7 .................................................................................................

lm ................................................................................................-

lw .................................................................................................

lM3 .................................................................................................

1962 .................................................................................................

1961 .................................................................................................

l%o .................................................................................................

1959 .................................................................................................

1958 .................................................................................................

1957 .................................................................................................

1956 .................................................................................................

1955 .................................................................................................

1954 .................................................................................................

1953 .................................................................................................

1952 .................................................................................................

1951 .................................................................................................

19m .................................................................................................

1949 .................................................................................................

1948 .................................................................................................

1947 .................................................................................................

1946 .................................................................................................

lw5 .................................................................................................

lw .................................................................................................

lw3 .................................................................................................

1942 .................................................................................................

Number

of

divorces

1,077,000

1,036,000

977,000

915,000

645,000

773,000

708,000

639,000

564JIO0

523,000

499,000

479,000

450,000

428@30

413,000

414,000

393,000

395,000

368.000

381,000

382,000

377,000

379,000

390,000

392,000

381,000

385,144

397,000

408,000

463,000

610,000

485,000

400,000

359,000

321,000

293,000

264,000

Percent

change

in number

+4.0

+6.0

ffi.8

-!=8.3

+8.3

+8.2

+1 0.8

+9.4

+11 .7

+4.8

+4.2

+6.4

+5.1

i-3.6

-0.2

+5.3

-0.5

+7.3

-3.4

-0.3

+1.3

-0.5

-2.8

-0.5

+2.9

-1.1

-3.0

-2.7

-15.5

-20.8

+25.8

+21 .3

+11 .4

+1 1.8

+9.6

+11 .0

. . .

Rate

Qer

1,000

total

population

5.0

4.9

4.6

4.4

4.1

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

2.7

2.8

3.4

4.3

3.5

2.9

2.6

2.4

2.2

2.0

Percent

change

in rate

+2.0

+6.5

+4.5

+7.3

+10.8

+5.7

+9.4

+10.3

+11 .5

+4.0

+4.2

+4.3

+4.5

4.3

+4.5

+4.8

-4.5

-4.3

-4.2

4.0

-3.8

-3.7

-3.6

-17.6

-20.9

+22.9

+20.7

+11 .5

+8.3

+8.1

+10.0

. . .

Rate

per

1,000

married

15 years

and over

---

20.3

19.3

18.2

17.0

15.8

14.9

13.4

12.5

11.2

10.9

10.6

10.0

9.6

9.4

9.6

9.2

9.3

8.9

9.2

9.4

9.3

9.5

9.9

10.1

9,9

10.3

10.6

11.2

13.6

17.9

14.4

12.0

11.0

10.1

9.4

8.8

Percent

change

in rate

---

+5.2

+6.s3

+7.1

+7.6

+6.0

+11 .2

+7.2

+1 1.6

+2.8

+2.8

+6.0

+4.2

+2.1

-2.1

+4.3

-1.1

+4.5

-3.3

-2.1

+1.1

-2.1

-4.0

-2.0

+2.0

-3.9

-2.8

-5.4

-17.6

-24.0

+24.3

+20.0

+9.1

+8.9

+7.4

+(5.8

. . .

23
Table 2. Annual changes in divorce totals and cumulative changes since 1955 due to changes in population and to other causes: United

Year

1975 ...................................................................

1974 ...................................................................

1973 ...................................................................

1972 ...................................................................

1971 ...................................................................

1970 ...................................................................

1969 ...................................................................

1968 ...................................................................

1%7 ...................................................................

1966 ...................................................................

1965 ...................................................................

1964 ...................................................................

19H ...................................................................

1962 ...................................................................

1961 ...................................................................

1960 ...................................................................

1959 ...................................................................

1958 ...................................................................

1957 ...................................................................

1956 ...................................................................

1955 ...................................................................

States, 1955-75

Number

of

divorces

and

‘annulments

1,036,000

977,000

915,000

845,000

773,000

708,000

639,000

564,000

523,000

499,000

479,000

450,000

428,000

413,000

414,000

393,000

395,000

368,000

381,000

382,000

377,000

Change from preceding year

Due to

Total

changes

in population

+59,000

+62 ,000 +1 ,000

+70,000 +1 0,000

+72,000 +1 2,000

+65,000 +4,000

+69,000 +9,000

+55,000 +11,000

+6 1,000 i-l ,000

+24,000 +6,000

+20,000 +7,000

+29,000 +7,000

+22,000 +5,000

+1 5,000 +4,(300

–1 ,000 +8,000

+21 ,000 -7,000

-2,000 +3,000

+27,000 +5,000

–13,000 +3,000

-1,000 -1,000

+5,000 +3,000

. . . . . .

Due to

other

causes

+59,000

+61 ,000

+60,000

+60,000

+61 ,000

+60,000

+44,000

+60,000

+18,000

+13,000

+22,000

+1 7,000

+11 ,000

-9,000

+22,000

-5,000

+22,000

–16,000

+2,000

. . .

Cumulative change since 1955

Due to

Total changes

in population

+659,000 +97,000

+600,000 +97,000

+538,000 +96,000

+468,000 +86,000

+396,000 +74,000

+331 ,000 +70,000

+262,000 +61 ,000

+207,000 +5s),000

+146,000 +49,000

+1 22,000 +43,000

+7(32,000 +36,000

+73,000 +29,000

+51 ,000 +24,000

+36,000 +20,000

+37,000 +1 2,000

+16,000 +1 3,000

+18,000 +1 0,000

-9,000 +5,000

+4,000 +2,000

+5,000 +3,000

. . . . . .

Due to

other

causes

+562,000

+503,000

+442,000

+382,000

+322,000

+261 ,000

+20 f ,000

+1 57,000

+97,000

+79,000

+66,000

+44,000

+27,ooo

+16,000

+25,ooo

+3,000

+8,000

-14,000

+2,000

+2,000

. . .

24
Table 3. Divorce rates per 1,000 population, with percent changes: Unitad States and selected foreign countries, 1860 and l&70

[Countries are listed by magnitude of change. Source.of data: United Nations, Demographic Yearbook, 1968 and 1974:1970 for Chinal

Country

Canada ....... .. .............. .. ...... ................ ...... ...... .. .............. ...... ............ .............. ................................................

Dominican Republic ............................... ...... ................ ...... ...... .................... .......... .......................................

Scotland ............................. ................ .............. .................................. ............................................................

England and Wales . ............. .................... ................ ................................ ................ ............ ...........................

Soviet Union ....... ......................................................................................................................... ..................

New Zealand ........................................................................ ..........................................................................

Netherlands ......................... .................... ........ ...... .. ...... ...... ...... .................... .. ............. ....... ......... ..................

United States ................................................... ................................... ..... ..................... .......................... ........

Finland ................................ ........................... ...... ................ ................................ ....................... ...................

Czechoslovakia .... ................ .......................... .. .................... ...... ...... ........ ........ .... ................ ...........................

Australia ....... ...... .. ........ ............ ...................... ...... ........ ...... .............. ...... .................. ......................................

Germany, Federal Republic ofl ............................. ............ .. ................................................................ ........ ..

Uruguay ............... ...... ................ .................................. ...... ................ .... .. ...... .............. ..................................

Mexico .......... ...... .. .............. ...... .............. ........ .............. ...... .................... ...... .. ...............................................

Sweden ................ .................................... ................ ............ ........ .. .... .............. .... ...........................................

Hungary .................................... .......................................... ...........................................................................

Norway ................................................... .......................................................................................................

Denmark .............. ........ ............ .......................................... ...... .......... ...................... ......................................

Austria ......... ............... ........ ................................. ..........................................................................................

Democratic Republic of Germanyl ............................... ...... ........ .................. .......... .... .. ...... .............. .............

Switzerland ... ...................... .................................... ...................................... ............................. ....................

Lebanon .................................................................. ...... .............. .... ........ ...... ........ ........ .................................

China (Taiwan) 2 ...................... ................................ ............ .................... ........ ...............................................

Guatemala .......... ...................................... ...... .................... ...................... .............. ........................................

Eg;pt3 .............. ...................... ........................ ........................................ .......................................................

Israel ... ...... .......... .................... ...................................... ...... ........ ............ ........ ...............................................

Pomugal .............. .................................................... ............................ ............ ...... ..........................................

Syria ........................................ ..................... . ............................ .....................................................................

Iran .................... ...... ............................................ ................ ...... .............. ......................................................

Romania .............. .................... .. ...... .. ............ ...................... ...........................................................................

Divorce rate

1970

1.36

0.92

0.88

1.18

1.08

2.62

1.12

0.79

3.47

1.29

1.74

0.98

1.24

1.01

0.57

1.61

2.22

0.88

0.40

1.93

0.66

1.16

0.94

1.40

1.61

0.79

1.02

0.45

0.39

0.13

1.01

2.07

0.81

0.06

0.57

0.28

0.58

0.38

0.39

0.29

0.35

0.51

0.50

1.3

0.69

0.49

2.18

0.82

1.12

0.65

0.83

0.68

0,42

1.20

1.66

0.66

0.30

1.46

0.50

0.90

0.74

1.13

1.34

0.66

0.87

0.43

0.44

0.15

1.20

12.51

1.05

0.06

0.78

0.40

1.17

2.01

Percent

change

+248.7

+21 7.2

+151.4

+131.4

+11 2.0

+101.5

+62.3

+61 .2

+59.2

+57.3

+55.4

+50.8

+49.4

+48.5

+35.7

+34.2

i-33.7

+33.3

+33.3

+32.2

+32.0

+28.9

+27.0

+23.9

+20.1

+1 9.7

+1 7.2

+4.7

-11.4

-13.3

-15.8

-17.5

-22.9

-25.0

-26.9

-30.0

-50.4

-81.1

lIncludes the relevant parts of Berlin.

2Provisional data.

3Data include “revocable divorces” among the Moslem population which approximate ]egSdSepWations.

4Rate listed under United Arab Republic.

25
Table 4. Number of divorces and divorce rates per 1,000 married women, with percent changes: United States, each region, division, and

State. 1960 and 1970

Region, division, and State

United Statesl ....................................................................

Region:

Northaast ........................................................... .........................

North Centrel ....................................................... ...... .. .................

Southl ................................................................ ................ ...........

West .................... .......... ...................................... ..........................

Division:

New England .................................................................................

Middle Atlantic ................................................... .......... ...... ..........

East North Central ......................... ...............................................

West North Central ........................................................................

South Atlantic ...............................................................................

East South Central ......................................................... ...............

West South Central 2 ........................................... ...........................

Mountain ....... .......... ...................................................... .......... ......

Pacific ........... .. ........................................ ......................................

New England:

Maine ...................................... ...... .................. ........ ......................

New Hampshire ............. ................................ ........................ ........

Vermont ........ ........ ........................ ........................................ .. ......

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

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

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

Middle Atlantic:

New York ................. .............. .. ................ ...... .................. .............

New Jersey ....................................................................................

Pennsylvania .... ..............................................................................

East North Central:

Ohio ..............................................................................................

Indiana ,llinoi~ ............................. .............................................................

...........................................................................................

Michigan ................... .....................................................................

Wisconsin ......................................................................................

West North Central:

Minnesota ........................................ ........................ ................ ......

lowa ..............................................................................................

Missouri ............................... ..........................................................

North Dakota ................................................................................

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

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

Kansas ...................... ................ ................................................ .....

See footnotes at end of table.

Number of divorces

1970

Percent

708,000 393,000 80.2

86,000

186,000

242,000

194,000

25,807

59,860

2129,828

48,169

106,103

50,607

82,747

48,995

144,696

3,853

2,433

1,028

10,994

1,687

5,812

26,404

10,834

22,622

39,302

215,153

36,450

29,993

8,930

8,290

7,188

17,852

985

1,357

3,712

8,785

239,()()0

2106,fJ)0

152,000

196,00(3

212,842

26,255

177,639

228,533

55,526

239,139

55,000

228,846

66,395

2,168

1,119

463

25,592

954

2,546

7,235

4,591

14,429

22,960

1 ‘12,794

21,809

16,416

3,660

4,139

4,559

211,484

596

794

2,151

4,810

120.5

75.5

59.2

102.1

101.0

128.0

67.2

68.8

91.1

29.3

50.4

69.9

117.9

77.7

117.4

122.0

96.6

76.8

128.3

264.9

136.0

56.8

71.2

377,4

67.1

82.7

144.0

100.3

57.7

55.5

65.3

70.9

72.6

82.6

1970

14.9

7.5

14.1

16.2

23.9

9.6

6.8

213.8

12.6

14.5

16.7

18.1

25.5

23.3

16.8

14.1

10.3

8.7

7.8

8.1

6.2

6.3

8.1

15.7

218.4

14.1

14.6

8.9

9.7

10.7

15.9

7.1

9.0

10.6

16.1

Rate per 1,000

married women

1960

9.2

23+6

28<5

11.7

11444

.25.2

3.1

18C9

27.7

9.1

214.0

13.7

%8.1

13.1

9.6

7.7

5.2

24.7

4.7

4.1

1.8

3.0

5.2

9.8

111<3

8.9

8.8

4,0

5.3

6.8

210.8

4.2

5.1

6.3

8.9

Percent

change

62.0

108.3

65.9

38.5

66.0

84.6

119.4

55.1

63.6

59.3

19.3

32.1

40.9

77.9

75.0

83.1

98.1

85.1

66.0

97.6

244.4

110.0

55.8

60.2

62.8

58.4

65.9

122.5

83.0

57.4

47.2

69.0

76.5

68.3

80.9

26
Table4. Numbrof divorces anddivorce rates perl,~O marridwomen, with percent chang=: United States. each reqion, division, and

State, 1960 am

Ragion, division, and Stata

South Atlantic:

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

Maryland ............ .. .................... .......... ...........................................

District of ColumMa .. .......... .......................................... ...... ..........

Virginia .........................................................................................

West Virginia ....................... .......................................... ................

North Carolina .......................................... ................................... .

South Carolina .............. ...... ......................................................... .

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

Florida ............................................................... ...........................

East South Central:

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

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

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

Mississippi ................................................ .....................................

West South’ Central:

Arkansasz ..................................... ...............................................

Louisiana2 ..................................... ...... ................ ...... ....................

Oklahoma ....................... ........................ .......................................

Texas ..................................................... ...... .. ...... ........ ..................

Mountain:

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

ldaho ............................................. ........ ........ ...................... ...... ....

Wyoming ........................................ ............... .. .............. ...... ..........

Colorado .. .. ........ .................................... ............................ ...........

New Mexico ................................... ...................................... .........

Arizona ......................................................... .............................. ..

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

Nevada .............. .................................... ........ ................................

Pacific:

Washington .................................................... ................ ................

Oregon .................................................................... ............ ..........

California ........ ................o................. ............ ................................

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

Hawaii ............................. ..............................................................

lData include estimates.

970–Con. -

Number of divorces

1970

1,732

9,252

2,268

11,879

5,584

13,702

5,828

18,649

37,208

10,664

16,623

15,109

8,211

9,310

5,065

16,842

51,530

3,047

3,612

1,797

10,400

4,375

12,714

3,912

9,138

?7,887

9,583

112,942

1,695

2,589

1960

683

5,140

1,142

7,368

3,574

6,047

3,068

8~0

19,554

27,528

9,053

17/320

5,237

5,377

4,142

10,749

34,732

2,005

2,592

1,308

4,728

22,81 I

4,780

2,166

8,455

9,341

5,720

49,276

788

1,270

Percent

change

149.9

80.0

98.6

61.2

56.2

126.6

90.0

108.6

90.3

41.7

83.6

-12.8

56.8

73.1

56.;

48.4

51.9

39.4

37.4

120.0

55.6

166.0

80.6

8.1

91.5

67.5

129.2

115.1

103.9

Rate per 1,000

married women

1970

13.5

10.0

15.3

10.8

13.3

11.2

9.9

17.3

21.7

14.0

17.4

18.6

16.6

19.7

9.6

26.6

19.4

19.1

21.1

22.5

20.2

21.3

30.6

16.6

78.1

22.0

18.7

24.3

26.4

15.5

1960

6.4

6.9

6.7

8.0

8.2

5.7

5.9

9.8

15.6

21 (3.6

10.6

22.9

10.9

12.5

5.6

18.6

15.2

12.8

16.4

16.5

11.3

213.3

15.9

10.9

121.0

13.5

13.1

13.0

17.0

9.8

Percent

change

110.9

44.9

128.4

35.0

62.2

96.5

67.8

76.5

39.1

32.1

64.2

-18.8

52.3

57.6

71.4

43.0

27.6

49.2

28.7

36.4

78.8

60.2

92.5

52.3

-35.5

63.0

42.7

86.9

55.3

58.2

2Data are incomplete.

3Estjmates for nonreporthgareas of the State included in the computation of the change.

27
Table 5. Divorce rates per 1,000 population: United States, each region, division, and State, 1960.75

[RaI

.

1972

m 1

-

1971

) popu

_

1!370

——

35

tion in

.

1968

3.2

ach an

.

1968

2.9

I

.

1867

2.6

-

1974

.

1966

2.5

.

1961

-

Region, division, and State 1960

United States . ................

Regicm

Northeast ........................................

North Centrall ................................

Southl .......... ..................................

west ........................................ ........

Northeast:

New England .......... ..................

Middle Atlantic ..........................

North Central:

East North Central .....................

West North Central . . . . .... ....

South:

South Atlantic .. . .... .. . ... ... . .

East .%uth Central .....................

West south Centra12 ............ ......

west:

M0untain2 .................... .............

Pacific ........................................

Oivismn

.

1965

—

2.5

.

1964

—

2.4

.

1963

—

2.3

.

1862

—

2.2

1975

4.9 4.6 4.4 4.1 3.7 2.3 2.2

3.1

4.5

5.5

6.5

3.5

3.0

●

4.2

5.2

5.5

.

7.3

6.3

5.2

5.2

4.1

2.8

2.9

4.0

3.1

2.7

3.0

4.9

.

4.6

4.5

2.8

3.0

4.3

5.2

6.3

23.3

2.9

4.5

3.8

4.8

5.3

.

7.1

6.0

4.7

5.0

23.5

2.8

2.7

3.5

3.0

2.7

2.8

4.6

26.4

4.3

4.6

2.7

2.7

4.1

4.9

6.0

2.9

2.7

.

3.6

4.6

5.0

.

.

5.8

4.4

4.9

3.4

2.5

2.5

2.6

2.6

3.0

2.6

4,5

●

4.0

4.4

2.5

2.4

3.8

4.6

5.7

2.6

2.3

.

3.4

4.3

4.7

5.2

.

5.5

4.1

4.1

2.7

2.5

2.1

2.7

2.2

2.4

2.3

4.2

.

3.8

4.0

2.3

2.0

3.5

4.2

5.6

2.5

1.9

.

3.2

3.8

4.2

4.8

.

5.3

3.9

3.9

2.6

2.2

1.9

2.3

1.8

1.8

2.1

3.9

.

3.6

3.5

2.0

1.6

3.3

3.9

5.6

2.2

1.6

.

3.0

3.5

4.0

.

5.9

5.5

3.9

3.3

2.3

1.9

1.8

1.9

1.4

1.5

1.9

3.7

.

3.3

3.4

2.0

1.6

3.2

3.6

14.7

2.1

1.4

133

2.8

3.3

3.6

3.9

.

4.3

3.5

3.2

1.8

2.0

1.4

1.9

1.2

1.5

1.8

3.3

34.6

3.3

3.2

1.9

1.4

2.9

3.4

14.3

1.9

1.2

13.0

2.6

3.0

3.3

3.9

.

4.0

3.2

3.0

1.8

1.s

1.1

1.8

0.8

1.1

1.7

3.0

34.7

2.9

2.9

1.7

1.1

2.6

3.1

14.1

21.6

0.9

12.7

2.4

2.8

3.0

3.7

.

3.7

3.1

2.5

1.6

1.3

21.0

1.6

0.4

1.0

1.6

2.8

33.6

2.6

2.7

1.4

1.1

2.5

3.0

14.0

1.8

0.9

12.6

2.2

2.6

2.8

.

.

3.6

2.7

2.5

1.5

1.9

?.4

1.5

0.4

1.0

1.5

2.7

33.6

2.6

2.6

1.3

1.0

2.4

2.9

14.0

1.6

0.8

2.5

2.1

22.6

2.8

.

15.0

3.7

2.6

2.3

1.5

1.5

1.3

1.3

0.5

0.8

1.4

2.5

~3.8

2.3

2.4

1.3

1.0

2.2

2.8

13.8

E

2.3

2.1

2.3

2.8

.

.

3.3

2.4

2.2

1.5

1.3

1.2

1.3

0.4

0.8

1.4

2.5

3.3

2,0

2.4

1.3

0,9

2.2

2.8

13.6

1.3

0.7

2.2

2.0

2.3

2.8

.

14.9

13.2

2.2

2.1

1.3

1.1

1.2

1.2

0.4

0.8

1.3

2.4

3.2

2.0

2.2

1.2

0.9

2.1

2.7

13.6

1.3

0.7

2.2

2.0

2.2

2.8

.

.14.9

13.2

2.1

2.2

1.2

1.2

1.1

1.1

0.4

0.8

1.3

2.3

3.3

1.8

2,2

1.1

0.8

2.2

2.s

13.5

1.3

0.7

2.3

21.9

2.2

23,2

●

14.5

23.2

2.0

1,6

1.2

1.1

1.2

1.1

0.4

0.8

1.2

2.3

3.2

2.6

2.1

1.1

20.9

2.1

2.8

23.4

21.2

0.8

2.1

21.9

2.1

●

●

4.2

3.1

2.2

1.8

1.2

21.1

1.1

1.0

0.4

0.8

1.3

2.4

2.7

2.2

2.1

0.9

New England:

Maine ................ .............. ...........

New Hampshire ..........................

Vermont .................. .................

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

Rhode Island ..............................

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

Middle Atlantic:

New York ..................................

New Jersey .......... .......................

Pennsylvania ..............................

East North Central:

Ohio ...........................................

Indiana ..................................... ..

Illmols ........................................

Michigan ....................................

Witconsm ...................................

See footnotes at end Of table.

28
Table 5. Divorce rates Per 1,000 population: United States, each region, division, and State, 1960-75-Con.

[Rates per 1 1 popu

=

1970

tion in

1

1969

2.0

~8

1.5

1.9

2.3

3.4

2.9

2.3

2.9

2.4

2.6

2.5

2.0

3.7

5.5

3.0

3.9 ~

4.0

3.2

4.6

●

6.1

4.2

4.0

4.9

5.4

4.3

.

7.0

3.7

24.0

4.9

4.3

4.2

5.4

2.9

,ch are

1

1S68

1.s

2.3

3.6

1.4

1.9

2.1

3.1

E

2.7

2.3

2.4

2.4

1.7

3.4

5.1

3.1

3.4

3.6

3.0

4.3

.

5.7

4.5

3.7

4.7

5.1

4.2

.

6.4

3.3

22.5

4.8

4.1

3.9

4.8

2.4

.

1967

1.7

2.2

3.2

1.4

1.6

2.0

3.0

1.7

2.0

2.3

2.1

2.2

2.4

1.4

3.2

4.7

2.4

3.2

3.4

2.8

4.1

.

5.1

4.2

3.4

4.5

4.9

4.0

.

6.2

3.2

22.3

4.0

3.8

3.7

4.3

1.9

1966

1.5

2.0

3.1

1.2

1.4

1.8

2.7

1.6

2.0

2.3

2.1

2.2

2.3

1.2

2.9

4.3

2.1

3.0

3.2

2.7

23.6

.

4.9

4.0

3.0

4.4

4.6

3.7

.

35.7

3.1

21.4

3.8

3.6

3.7

4.1

1.2

i

1965

1.4

1.9

2.9

1.1

1.5

1.7

2.6

1.5

2.0

z

2.1

2.3

1.2

22.7

4.4

2.6

2.9

3.2

2.5

3.4

.

4.8

3.9

2.6

4.1

4.3

33.4

3.6

5.4

2.9

23.0

3.9

3.2

3.8

4.2

1.6

1984

1.5

1.8

2.9

1.2

1.4

~6

1.3

1.9

1.5

2.0

2.1

1.5

1.0

2.6

4.2

2.5

2.8

3.2

2.5

23.1

.

5.0

3.9

2.8

4.2

4.2

13.2

.

5.7

3.0

26.3

3.7

3.4

3.3

3.9

2.4

Region, division, and State 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1363 I962 I 861 1960

West North Central:

Minnesota ................ ..................

Iowa ...........................................

Missouri .............................. .......

North Dakota ........................ .....

.%uth Dakota ........ .....................

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

Kane ......................................

.%uth Atlantic:

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

Maryland ...................................

District of Columbia .................. ~

Virginia ......................................

Wmt Virginia ................... ...........

North Carolina ...........................

South Carolina ......................... ..

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

Florida ................................ .......

East South Csntral:

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

Tennessm. ....................... ............

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

Mississippi ..................................

West South Central:

Arkansas .......... ..........................

Louisirma2 ......................... ........

Oklahoma .......................... .. ......

Texas ................................... ......

Mountain:

Montana., ........ ...........................

Idaho .................................. .......

Wyoming ....................................

Color&o ............................. .......

New Mexico2 ...................... .......

Arizona4 ...................... ..............

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

Nevada ................................ .. .....

Pacifii:

Washington ..........................<.....

Oregon .......................................

California ...................................

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

Hawaii ........................................

1.3

1.7

2.8

1.0

1.2

1.6

2.4

1.2

1.9

1.5

1.8

2.1

1.4

1.1

2.4

4.1

2.3

2.6

3.7

2.4

3.4

.

14.6

3.6

2.8

3.7

4.0

13.6

3.7

5.3

2.6

27.1

13.3

S.3

3.2

3.6

2.1

1.2

1.7

22.7

1.0

1.2

1.6

2.3

1.3

1.7

1.5

1.8

2.1

1.4

1.3

2.4

4.2

22.4

2.6

5.3

2.4

23.2

.

14.7

23.6

2.9

3.9

3.9

13.1

3.4

5.0

2.5

26.4

23.2

3.4

3.1

3.9

2.4

1.2

1.7

22.7

0.9

1.2

1.5

2.2

1.6

1.7

1.5

1.9

1.9

1.3

1.3

2.3

3.9

.

2.5

5.3

2.4

●

.

4.6

3.6

3.0

3.9

4.0

2.7

3.0

3.7

2$

3.3

3.2

3.1

3.5

2.0

3.4

3.6

5.1

2.7

3.3

3.6

5.6

4.8

3.8

5.3

3.9

4.6

4.1

3.4

6.0

7.6

4.3

5.9

6.4

6.2

7.9

●

E

E

7.6

6.2

7.3

7.8

5.1

17.8

7.3

6.8

6.1

8.1

4.9

—

3.1

3.3

4.6

2.5

3.0

3.4

5.1

4.1

3.7

4.4

3.4

4.0

3.7

3.2

5.5

7.4

4.1

5.7

5.9

5.1

27.7

.

8.3

5.6

5.4

6.0

7.0

6.0

7.0

7.9

4.6

17.5

6.9

6.0

5.8

7.3

4.9

—

2.9

3.2

4.6

2.2

2.6

3.2

4.6

3.8

3.5

4.0

3.3

3.8

3.5

3.0

52

7.3

3.9

5.3

5.8

4.7

27.5

●

7.5

5.4

5.2

,5.6

6.4

5.8

●

6.8

4.6

18.2

6.3

5.6

5.7

6.2

5.0

—

2.6

2.9

4.4

2.0

2.4

2.9

4.4

3.2

2.6

4.4

3.0

3.5

3.3

2.8

4.7

7.0

3.6

5.1

5.4

4.5

7.2

2.8

6.9

5.2

5.0

5.1

6.4

5.3

.

6.7

4.4

21.9

6.0

5.4

6.4

6.6

4.8

—

2.5

2.7

4.1

1.9

2.1

2.7

4.2

3.3

2.5

3.5

2.8

3.5

3.0

2.5

4.3

6.2

3.4

4.4

4.9

4.0

6.7

2.6

6.3

4.8

4.6

5.0

5.8

5.2

●

7.9

4.0

18.5

5.6

5.0

5.4

5.6

4.7

—

2.2

2.5

3.8

1.6

2.0

2.5

3.9

3.2

2.4

3.0

2.6

3.2

2.7

2.3

4.1

5.5

3.3

4.2

4.4

3.7

24.8

.

6.6

4.6

4.4

5.1

5.4

4.7

4.3

7.2

3.7

18.7

5.2

4.6

5.7

5.6

3.4

1.3

1.8

2.9

1.1

1.3

1.7

2.4

1.3

1.9

1.5

1.9

2.1

1.5

1.0

2.5

4.1

2.3

2.8

3.7

2.4

23.4

.

4.6

3.8

2.7

4.1

4.1

13.5

3.5

5.6

2.7

24.8

13.4

3.3

3.2

3.8

2.2

lData include estimates.

2Data are incomplete.

3Data are estimated.

4Divorce petitions filed.

29
Table 6. Divorce rates for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas: United States, each region, division, and State, 1960, 1965, and

Region, division, and State

United Stat~ ...........................................................

Region:

Northeast ................................ ...........................................

North Central ..... ................................................................

South ............................................ .....................................

West .................... .......................... .....................................

Division:

New Englandl..o .................................................................

Middle Atlantic ........................................ ................ ..........

East North Centra12 ............. ...............................................

West North Central ...................................................... ......

South Atlantic .................................... .... ...........................

East South Central ................................ .. ...........................

West South Centra12 ..........................................................

Mountain ...........................................................................

Pacific ................................................................................

New Enaland:

Main;l ...............................................................................

New Hampshirel ............................................. ...................

Vermontl ...... ....................................................................

Maswchusettsl .......................................... .........................

Rhode lslandl .......... ..........................................................

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

Middle Atlantic:

New York ...... ......... ...........................................................

New Jersey ..................... ....................................................

Pennsylvania ......................................................................

East North Central:

Ohio ................................... ........ ........................................

Indiana ........................................................... ...... ..............

lllinois ................................................................................

Michigan ............................................................................

Wisconsin ...........................................................................

West North Central:

Minnesota ..........................................................................

lowa ...................................................................................

Missouri ......... ................ ................................................. ...

North Dakota .....................................................................

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

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

Kansas ................................................................................

See footnotes at end of table.

1970

Metropolitan area

Rata per 1,000

population

1970

3.7

1.6

3.6

4.4

5.8

2.0

1.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

4.4

5.1

7.1

5.6

4.7

3.0

. . .

1.9

1.9

1.8

1.4

1.5

1.9

3.8

24.5

3.3

3.5

2.4

2.9

3.6

4.1

2.3

2,8

3.5

5.0

1965

2.6

1.0

2.7

3.4

4.2

1.4

0.8

2;.:

23.0

3.2

4.3

26.2

3.8

2.9

2.1

. . .

1.4

1.3

1.3

0.4

0.8

1.4

2.6

4.2

2.4

22.6

1.5

2.1

2.8

23.3

1.5

2.3

2.5

3.4

1960

2.3

0.9

2.4

3.1

3.6

1.1

0.8

2;:;

22.5

3.0

4.0

25.4

3.2

2.6

1.8

;:1.

1.1

0.9

0.4

0.8

1.3

2.5

2.9

2.3

22.3

1.2

1.6

2.6

23.1

1.9

2.0

2.4

2.9

Rate

per

1,000

married

1970

1.5.7

7.0

15.4

18.5

25.0

8.7

6.5

15.6

16.2

15.8

18.9

21.6

30.4

23.9

20.4

13.2

85

8.0

7.8

5.8

6.3

7.9

16.4

219.5

14.3

15.3

10.8

12.9

15.6

17.6

10.6

12.1

15.6

20.7

?

Nonmetropolitan area

Rate per 1,000

population

1970

3.1

2.2

2.6

3.3

4.6

2.9

1.9

2.9

22.2

3.0

3.6

3.3

24.4

4.8

3.7

3.4

2.3

3.1

1.4

2.2

1.9

1.5

2.1

3.2

24.3

3.3

2.9

1.5

1.3

2:::

1.5

1.9

1.7

3.1

1965

2.2

1.2

1.9

2.5

3.4

2.0

0.9

2.2

21.5

22.1

2.6

2.9

23.6

3.3

2.5

2.4

1.5

2.3

1.4

1.6

0.6

0.8

1.4

2.3

3.4

1.9

22.0

1.1

0.5

1.4

22.4

1.1

1.3

1.2

2.1

1960

2.1

1.0

1.6

2.5

2.9

1.6

0.8

1.8

21.3

21.8

3.5

2.7

23.1

2.8

2.1

1.9

1.2

1.3

1.0

1.3

0.6

0.7

1.1

1.9

2.6

1.9

21.7

0.7

0.8

1.2

22.1

0.8

1.0

1.0

1.8

Rata

1F:o

married

1970

13.0

9.3

11,1

13.7

19.4

12.4

8.0

12.1

29.2

12.7

15.2

13.9

219.1

19.8

16.0

14.5

10.3

12.6

6.6

9.3

8.3

6.3

8.9

13.3

217.4

13.4

12.5

6.5

5.5

8.1

%3.1

6.7

8.5

7.2

12.8

30
Table 6. Divorce rates for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas: United States, each region, division, and State, 1960, 1865, and

Region, division, and State

South Atlantic:

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

Maryland .. ........................................... ...................... ........ .

District of Columbia ..........................................................

Virginia .... ........................... ..................................... ..........

West Virginia ......................................................................

North Carolina ........................................................ ...........

South Carolina ...................................................................

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

Florida ......... ...................................... ............ .......... ..........

East South Central:

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

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

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

Mississippi ................................................................ ..........

West South Central:

Arkansas ......................................... ...................................

Louisiana2 .................................... ............................ .........

Oklahoma ............... ...........................................................

Texas ............. .......... ..........................................................

Mountain:

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

Idaho ...... ...... ................ ............ ................ .........................

Wyoming .................... ........................ ................................

Colorado ........................... .. ........................... ....................

New Mexico .................. .....................................................

Arizona. .............................................................................

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

Nevada ........................................................... ....................

Pacific:

Washington .................................... ...................... ...... ........

Oregon ..................................... ..........................................

California ......................................... .......................... ........

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

Hawaii ................................................................. ...............

170—Con.

Metropolitan area

Rate per 1,000

population

1970

3.1

2.3

3.0

2.9

3.6

3.1

2.8

5.1

5.3

3.7

4.3

5.0

4.8

5.9

2.6

8.0

5.2

5.0

4.1

. . .

5.3

6.4

7.7

4.1

20.4

5.5

4.6

5.7

3:6

1965

1.5

2.0

1.7

2.8

2.6

2.9

1.9

23.6

4.2

23.o

3.0

3.5

3.0

24.7

2.2

5.6

24.5

3.2

3.3

. . .

3.8

25.2

6.0

3.4

25.4

3.8

3.2

3.9

. . .

1.7

1860

1.7

1.7

E

2.2

1.7

1.8

23.1

3.8

23.s3

2.8

3.4

2.5

24.8

1.7

5.7

24.2

3.4

3.8

. . .

3.1

24-6

4.0

2.8

35.5

3.4

3.6

3.2

. . .

2.3

Rate

per

1,000

married

women

1970

13.5

9.9

15.3

12.3

14.6

13.1

12.3

21.8

21.2

16.0

18.2

21.3

21.6

24.8

11.6

32.6

22.2

21.8

16.9

. . .

22.9

28.4

32.2

18.5

85.4

23.3

19.3

24.6

. . .

16.6

Nonmetropolitan area

Rate per 1,000

population

1970

3.2

2.5

. . .

2.0

3.0

2.4

1.9

3.0

5.9

3.0

4.2

3.7

3.5

24.4

1.6

5.2

2.9

4.2

5.2

5.4

2:.:

5.7

2.3

11.4

4.7

4.5

5.0

5.6

2.5

1965

1.5

1.9

. . .

1.1

1.9

2.0

0.8

%.9

4.8

22.4

2.8

2.9

2.4

23.1

1.4

2~8

2.7

4.3

4.3

2::

4.2

1.9

13.9

4.1

3.2

3.0

4.2

0.8

1860

1.3

1.4

. . .

1.4

1.8

1.2

2:::

4.3

22.8

2.3

6.9

2.4

23.0

1.4

3.8

22.6

2.8

3.9

4.0

1.9

22.7

2.9

1.6

12.8

3.0

2.9

2.7

3.5

1.1

Rate

1?&

married

women

1970

13.5

10.5

. . .

8.4

12.7

10.1

8.3

12.9

22.8

12.7

16.7

15.7

15.5

217.5

7.3

20.7

12.0

18.2

21.9

22.5

13.6

% 5.3

25.7

10.2

47.5

19.4

17.8

20.8

26.4

11.1

lRates for metropolitan and ~ormletropolitan stateeconomic areas.

2Total reporting counties.

NOTE: 1960 and 1965 rates taken from reference 4, table 6.

31
Table 7. Divorce rates: each standard metropolitan statistical area, 1960, 1965, and 1970

[All 1960 and 1965 rates are for SMSA’S aa defined in 1960; the 1970 rates are for SMSA’S as defined in 1970; for New England,

metropolitan State economic areas are used ]

Divorce rate per 1,000

Standard metropolitan statistical area

All SMSA’S .......................................................................................................................

Abilene, Tex . ........................... ................................................ ........................................................

Akron. Ohio ..... ...............................................................................................................................

Albany, Ga. ........................................ ...................... ...................................... .................................

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y. ........ ............................... ...............................................................

Albuquerque, N.M. ..........................................................................................................................

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa.-N.J. ......... ............................... ....................................................

Altoona, Pa. .................. ...................................................................................... .............................

Amarillo, Tex. ............................................................................................................. ....................

Anaheim-Santa Ana-Garden Grove, Calif. ....................... .................. ...............................................

Anderson, Ind. ......................... ........................................................................................................

Ann Arbor, Mich. ............................................................................................................................

Armleton-Oshkosh, Wis. ............................... ....................................................................................

Asheville, N.C. ................................................................................................................................

Atlanta, Ga. ................. ................................................ ....................................................................

Atlantic City, N.J. ...................................................................... ....................................................

Augusta, Ga.-S.C. .... .................................................................................................................... ....

Austin, Tex. .. ................................................................................................................ ...................

Bakersfield, Calif. .............................. ...... .........................................................................................

Baltimore, Md. .......................... .......................................................................................................

Baton Rouge, La. .............................................................................................................................

Bay City, Mich. .................................. ..............................................................................................

Beaumont-Port Arthur-Oranae. Tex.2 ........... ............................................................................ .......

Billings, Mont. .............. ......~.. I.........................................................................................................

Biloxi-Gulfport, Miss. ........................................... ...........................................................................

Binghamton, N. Y.-Pa. .................................................... ........................................ ...... ...................

Birmingham, Ala . .......................................................................... .................. .............. .......... ........ .

Bloomington-Normal, Ill. ................... ............................. .. ........ .......................................................

Boise City, ldaho ...................... .......................................................................................................

Boston-Lowell-Lawrence, Mass.3 ............................................................. ........................................

Bridgeport-Stamf ord-Norwalkr Corm. ....................................... .......................................................

Brockton, Mass. ......................................... .................................. ....................................................

Brownsville-Harl ingen-San Benito, Tex. ................ ...................... .....................................................

Bryan-College Station, Tex. ................................ ........................ ....................................................

Buffalo, N.Y. ..................................................................................................................................

Canton, Ohio .......................j ........ ................................ ...................................................................

Cedar Rapids, Iowa .................. ................................ ........................................................................

Champaign-Urbana, ill. ....................................................................................................................

Charleston, S.C. ....... .................!... ..... ........ ...................................................................... ...............

Charleston .W. Va. ............................................................................. ..............................................

Dallas, Tex. ...~............................... ...................................................................................................

Davenport-Rock lsland-Moline, lowa-111. .........................................................................................

Total population

1970

3.7

3.8

3.4

4.5

2.2

6.4

2.0

1.9

6.2

6.1

. . .

3.7

1.7

3.1

4.8

1.7

5.2

6.0

5.4

2.6

. . .

2.9

4.3

5.4

6.2

2.5

5.3

3.2

4.1

1.6

1.7

2.5

2.4

3.5

2.5

3.8

3.3

4.0

2.7

3.6

2.8

5.6

3.0

3.4

3.6

5.4

3.3

2.7

6.5

4.6

‘ 4.7

6.6

4.2

1965

2.6

3.7

2.0

4.3

1.1

5.2

1.4

1.3

4.6

(1)

(1)

3.0

(1)

3.4

3,0

1.1

4.4

4.9

3.6

2.2

2.1

2.0

4.4

3.4

(1)

0.7

3.8

(1)

(1)

1.3

1.0

1.6

1.9

(1)

0.6

2.4

2.7

2.2

2.1

2.4

2.8

4.3

2.3

1.9

2.6

4.1

(1)

1.6

5.1

3.4

4.0

5.4

3.6

2.3

3.8

2.8

2.0

0.7

4.6

1.4

1.2

4.3

(1)

(1)

2.1

(1)

2.4

2.6

1.3

3.7

3.8

3.2

1.9

2.2

1.8

3.8

4.0

(1)

0.8

3.5

(1)

(1)

1.0

0.9

1.2

1,8

(1)

0.7

2.5

2.4

1.8

1.7

2.1

1.3

3.3

2.1

2.5

2.2

3.5

(1)

1.8

5.0

3.6

3.6

4.9

3.0

Married

1970

15.7

15.4

14.3

20.3

9.5

28.4

7.8

7.9

24.7

25.6

. . .

17.7

7.8

12.2

20.2

7.3

23.2

27.2

22.5

11.1

. . .

12.9

17.9

23.2

26.4

10.3

22.2

14.5

16.9

7.2

7.3

10.8

11.8

15.6

10.7

15.6

13.8

18.7

12.5

14.6

11.6

22.7

13.2

15.0

15.7

23.5

15.6

12.5

28.6

20.0

20.7

27.4

17.7

See footnotes at end of table.

32
Table 7. Divorce rates: each standard metropol itan statistical area, 1960, 1965, and 1970–Con.

[All 1960 and 1965 rates are for SMSA’S as defined in 1960; the 1970 rates are for SMSA’sasdefiied in 1970; for New England,

metropolitan State economic areas areusedl

Standard metropolitan statistical area

Dayton, Ohio . ..................................................................................................................................

Decatur, Ill. ............................................................................. .................................................... ....

Denver, Colo. ......... ...................................................... ............ .......... ...... ........................................

Des Moines, Iowa ................. ........................................................................................ ........... .........

Detroit, Mich. ................................................................................................................................ ..

Dubuque, lowa ............. .............................. .................................. ...................................................

Duluth-Superior, Minn.-Wis. ............... .............................................................................................

Durham. N.C. .......................................................... ................................................ .......................

El Paso,’Tex. ............................................. .............. ............................ .............................................

Erie, Pa. ...................... ................................................................. ....................................................

Eugene, Orag. .......................... ................ ........................................................................................

Evansville, lnd.-Ky. ................................................. .......................................................... ...............

Fall River.New Bedford. Mass . ...................................................................................................... ...

Fargo-Moorhead, N. D.-Minn. ................................. .........................................................................

Fayetteville, N .C. ........................................... .............. ................ ...... .............................................

Flint, Mich. ........................ ..............................................................................................................

Fort Lauderdale-Holly wood, Fla. ....................................................................................................

Fort Smith, Ark.-Okla. ............................. ..................... ..................................................................

Fort Wayne, Ind. ............................... ..................................................................................... .........

Fort Worth, Tex. ................................... ..........................................................................................

Fresno. Caiif. ..... ..................... .......... ............ ...................................................................................

Gadsd&, Ala. ........................... ................................................... .................................................. ..

Gainesville, Fla. ............................................................ ...................................................................

Galveston-Texas City, Tex. ............ .................................................... .................... ..........................

Gary-Hammond-East Chicago, Ind. ..................................................................................................

Grand Rapids, Mich. ............... .........................................................................................................

Great Falls. Mont. .................................................................... ................ ........................................

Green Bay; Wis. ...............................................................................................................................

Greensboro-Winston-Salem-HighPoint, N.C.5 ................................................................................

Greenville, S.C. ...............................................................................................................................

Hamilton-Middletown, Ohio ... ............................................................................ .............................

Harrisburg, Pa. ............................................ .....................................................................................

Hartford-New Britain-Bristol, Corm. ................................................................................. ...............

Honolulu, Hawaii .............................................. ................................................................................

Houston, Tex . ............ .............................................................. ........................................................

Huntington-Ashland, W. Va.-Ky.-Ohio6 ............. ..............................................................................

Huntsville, Ala. ................................................... ........................................................ .....................

Indianapolis, lnd.7 ........ .............................. .....................................................................................

Jeckson, Mich. .................................................................................................................................

Jeckson, Miss. .......................................................... ................ .......................... ..............................

Jacksonville, Fla. .................................................................... ...... ...................................................

Jersey City, N.J. ................. .................................................... .............. ..........................................

Johnstown, Pa. ............... .............. ................................................ ............................ .......................

Kalamazoo, Mich. .................. .................................... .......................... ............................................

Kansas Citv, Mo.-Kans. ...................... ...................................................................................... ........

Kenosha, Wis. ..................................................................................................... ............................ .

Knoxvilla. Term. ................................ .................................................................................... ..........

La Crosse; Wis . ................................... ....... .. ........................................................ ............................ .

Lafayette; La. ............................................................................... ...................................................

Lafayette-West Lafayette, Ind. ........................................................................................................

Lake Charles, Le. .............................................................................................................................

Lancaster, Pa. ..................................................................................................................................

Lansing, Mich. .......................... ............................... ........................................................................

Divorce rate per 1,000

Total population

1970

4.6

3.8

5.3

4.9

3.4

1.8

2.7

3.3

4.8

2.5

5.5

..-

2.3

2.2

3.2

4.0

4.7

5.8

---

6.4

4.4

5.7

4.1

2.6

3.6

3.3

4.6

1.5

3.3

3.4

4.3

2.3

1.9

3.6

5.6

4.4

4.6

5.2

4.4

4.1

6.4

1.2

1.3

4.3

4.9

2.3

4.5

1.5

.-.

3.6

3.0

1.7

4,0

1965

Married

women

1970

3.1

2.6

3.9

3.5

2.5

1.1

1.5

3.3

3.1

1.8

3.4

3.2

1.6

1.5

(1)

3.1

4.0

3.9

2.9

5.6

2.9

4.4

(1)

4.4

5.9

2.5

3.0

1.0

3.3

2.6

3.2

1.9

0.4

1.7

4.7

3.2

2.9

3.7

3.4

3.0

4.2

1.0

0.8

3.2

3.6

1.6

3.3

(1)

(1)

(1)

2.2

1.6

3.0

3.1

2.2

3.1

3.3

2.3

0.9

1.1

2.0

4.1

1.6

3.3

2.6

1.2

1.5

(1)

2.7

3.1

3.0

2.6

4.9

2.5

3.9

(1)

5.0

2.8

1.5

2.9

0.6

2.1

1.9

3.1

1.7

0.9

2.3

4.1

2.8

3.2

3.2

2.8

2.5

3.7

0.8

0.8

2.7

3.4

1.1

2.9

(1)

(1)

(1)

1.9

1.3

2.5

19.0

15.5

22.9

20.9 -

14.7

9.1

11.7

14.8

22.4

10.8

22.6

---

9.7

10.3

15.1

17.3

17.2

23.3

-..

25.7

19.0

22.3

19.4

11.0

15.8

14.4

20.1

6.9

13.4

14.0

18.0

9.3

7.9

16.6

23.4

17.8

19.2

22.4

19.2

18.2

27.5

5.2

5.6

19.0

20.3

9.8

18.4

7.0

. . .

16.1

13.0

7.3

17.9

See footnotes at end of table.

33
Table 7. Divorce rates: each standard metropolitan statistical area, 1960, 1965, and 1970–Con.

[All 1960 and 1965 ratea are for SMSA’S as defined in 1960; the 1970 rates are for SMSA’S aa defined in 1970; for New England,

metropolitan State economic areaa are used]

Standard metropolitan statistical area

Laredo, Tex. ....................................................................................................................................

Las Vegas, Nev . ........ ................ ................ ......................................................................... ...............

Lawton, Okla. .................................................................................... ..............................................

Lexington, Ky. ........ ........................................................................................................................

Lima, Ohio .............. ........................................................................................................................

Lincoln, Neb . .............................................................................................................................. .....

Little Rock-North Little Rock, Ark . ................................................... .............................................

Lorain-Elyria, Ohio .............................. ............................... ..............................................................

Los Angeles-Long Ba~h, Cal if. .......................................................... ..............................................

Louisville, Ky-lnd.8 ............ .............................................................................................................

Lubbock, Tex. .................................... ......................................................................... ....................

Lynchburg, Va. ................................................................................................................................

Macon, Ga. .................. ...................................................................... .......... ....................................

Madison, Wis . ............................................ .......... .............................................................................

Manchester, N.H. ......................................................................................... ...................................

Mansfield, Ohio ...............................................................................................................................

McAllen-Pharr-Edinburgr Tex. .........................................................................................................

Memphis, Term.-Ark. .......................................... .......... ...................................................................

Miami, Fia. .................................................................. ....................................................................

Midland, Tex. ..................................................................... .............................................................

Milwaukee, Wis. .............................................................................................................................. .

Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. .............................................................................................................

Mobile, Ala . ................................................................................................................................ .....

Modesto, Calif. ............................................. ...................................................................................

Monroa, La. ................. .................................................. ......................................... .........................

Montgomery, Ala. .................... ........................................................................................................

Muncie, Ind. ............................................ ...... ..................................................................................

Muskagon-Muskegon Heights, Mich. ....................................................... ................................. ........

Nashville-Davidson, Term. ................................................................................................................

New Haven-Waterbury, Corm. .......... ........ ................ ........................................................................

New Orleans, La.9 ............................................................................................ ...............................

New York, N.Y . ........................................................................................................................ ...... .

Newark, N.J. ........................................................................................... ........................................

Newport News-Hampton, Va. ................................. .........................................................................

Norfolk-Portsmouth, Va. ................................ ........ .........................................................................

Odessa, Tex. ..................................... ...... .......................... ........ .......................................................

Ogden, Utah .............................................................................................................................. .......

Oklahoma City, Okla. .............. .................................................. ......................................................

Omaha, Neb.-lowa .................................................... ........................................................................

Orlando, Fla. ...................................................................................................................................

Owensboro, Ky . .................. ................ .............................................................................................

Oxnard-Ventura, Calif. ............................................................................ ........................................

Paterson-Clifton-Passaic, N.J. ..........................................................................................................

Pensacola, Fla. ......... .......................................... ................................ ...... ........................................

Peoria, Ill. ................ .......... ..............................................................................................................

Petersburg-Colonial Heights, Va. ....................................................... ................ ...............................

Philadelphia, Pa.-N. J. ......................................................................................................................

Phoenix, Ariz. .... .......................................................... ...... ................ ...... ................ ........................

Pine Bluff, Ark. .......................................... .............. .......................................................................

Pittsburgh, Pa. ............................................................................ ..............................................~......

Pittsfield, Mass . ............ ............ ................................ .......................... ...... ........................................

Portland, Maine ................. ...................... ............. .................. .......... ........ ......................................

Portland, Oreg.-Wash. ......................................................................... ...................... .......................

Divorce rate per 1,000

Total population

1970

1.0

18.4

9.7

5,3

3.2

3.7

6.5

3.0

5.8

4.0

3.8

2.8

5.1

2.0

3.0

4.7

0.6

3.5

5.6

5.6

2.8

3.0

4.4

5.5

2.4

5.0

. . .

3.6

.4.4

1.9

2.6

1.1

1.4

2.7

3.3

7.4

5.6

6.6

3.6

4.8

4.4

5.5

1.5

5.8

4.2

2.4

1.8

7.7

5.1

1.9

2.5

4.7

4.6

1965

1.5

20.6

4.6

3.9

2.8

2.7

5.0

1.9

4.2

3.3

3.9

1.9

3.1

1.9

2.1

(1)

(1)

2.5

4.9

4.9

1.5

2.0

2.3

(1)

2.2

4.0

9.0

2.7

2.6

1.4

2.3

0.3

0.8

2.4

;:;

3.7

4.9

2.5

2.1

(1)

(1)

0.8

5.0

3.0

(1J

1.3

6.7

(1)

1.5

2.4

2.9

3.3

1960

1.5

30.2

4.7

3.2

2.4

2.5

5.3

1.9

3.4

2.8

4.6

1.4

3.5

1.3

1.8

(1)

(IJ

2.4

4.6

3.8

1.3

1.7

2.4

[1)

2.2

3.7

4.1

2.5

3.0

0.9

1.4

0.3

0.8

2.1

2.6

6.1

3.2

5.0

2.4

1.7

(1)

(1)

0.5

4.4

2.6

(1)

1.2

4.1

(1)

1.3

1.2

2.6

3.6

Married

women

1970

5.1

77.1

43.3

23.1

13.5

16.0

26.9

13.0

25.2

15.8

16.2

11.9

21.9

9.4

14.1

19.7

2.9

15.3

22.5

22.7

12.5

13.3

19.3

22.6

10.4

22.2

. . .

15.4

18.5

8.1

11.5

4.6

6.0

11.5

14.8

29.3

24.1

27.2

15.8

19.9

18.8

23.6

6.1

24.6

17.5

10.8

7.7

32.0

22.7

7.8

10.8

20.4

19.2

See footnotes at end of table.

34
Table 7. Divorce rates: each standard metropolitan statistical area, 1960, 1965, and 1970–Con.

[AU 1960 and 1965 rates are for SMSA’S as defined in 1960; the 1970 rates are for SMSA’S as defiied in 1970: for New Entzland.

metropolitan State”economic areas are used ]

Standard metropolitan statistical area

Providence, R.1 ................................ ...................................................... ........................................

Provo-Orem, Utah .............................. ................................................ ..............................................

Pueblo, Colo. ............... ...... ................ ................................ ................ ...... ...................... ..................

Recine, Wis. ........ .......... .................................. .................... ................ .................... .........................

Raleigh, N.C. .......................... .......................... .......... ..................... ...............................................

Reading, Pa. ............................................. ...... ..................................................................................

Reno, Nev. ................................................................... ...................... ..............................................

Richmond, Va. ................... .......................... .................................... ................ .................... ...........

Roanoka, Va. ...................... ...... .............................. .......................................... ...............................

Rochester, Minn. ......... ...................... .............. ............ .. .......................... ........................................

Rochester, N.Y. ................ ...... ........ ...................... ............................ ..............................................

Rockford, Ill. .......................................... ..... .. ...... .. ................................ .........................................

Sacramento, Calif. ...........................................................................................................................

Saginaw, Mich . .................................. ........................... ...................... ..............................................

St. Joseph, Mo . ............... .............................................. ................................................ ...................

St. Louis, Mo.-lll . ..................... ...................... ...... ............................................................................

Salem, Oreg. ........................................... ............... ..........................................................................

Salinas-Monterey, Calif. ...................................................................................................................

Salt Lake City, Utah ........................................................................................................................

San Angelo, Tex. ......................................... ....................................................................................

San Antonio, Tex. .. ................. .................................... ...... ..............................................................

San Bernardino-Riverside-Ontario;Calif. ...... ...................................................................................

3en Diego, Calif. ...................... ................................................................ ........................................

San Francisco-Oakland, Calif. ..........................................................................................................

&n Jose, Celif. ............. ...................................... .......................................... ...................................

Santa Barbara, Calif. ...... ......................................................................... .........................................

Santa Rose, Calif. ................... ................................................................ .........................................

Savannah, Ga. ................................................................... ........................................... ....................

Scranton, Pa. ...................... .......... ...................... .............................................................................

Seattle-Everett, Wash . ........... ............................................. ..............................................................

Sherman-Denison, Tex. ................................................................. ...................... .............................

Shreveport, La . ..... ............................................ ...............................................................................

Sioux City, lows-Nebr. ................ ........ .. ......................... ........ .............. ..........................................

Sioux Falls, S. Dak. ...................... .......................................... .......................................... ...............

South Bend, Ind. .............................................................................................................................

Spokane, Wash. ........................ ................ ...... ..................................................................................

Springfield, Ill. ........................................................... ............... .....................................................

Springfield, Mo. ................................. ...... ................................................................................ ........

Springfield, Ohio ..................................................................... ........................................................

Springfield-Holy eke, Mass. ................................................................................ ........ ......................

Steubenviile-Weirton, Ohio-W. Va. ............ ........................ ........................................... ....... .............

Stockton, Calif. ................... ........ ................................................. ...................................................

Syracuse, N. Y. ............. .............................. ..................... ............ ............................ .......................

Tacoma, Wash. .................................................. .............. .................................................................

Tallahassee, Fla. ........................... .............................. ......................................................................

Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla. ....................................... ......... ...............................................................

Terre Haute, Ind. .................................... ........................................................................................

Texarkana, Tex.-Ark . .......... .......... .................................... ...............................................................

Toledo, Ohio-Mich. .................................................. ..................... ...................................................

Topeka, Kans. ............... ...................................................................................................................

Trenton, N. J. ................................ .................... ...... .......... ..............................................................

Tucson, Ariz. ................ ................................ ...................................................................................

Tulsa, Okla.lo ............................... ................................................................ ..................................

See footnotes at end of table.

Divorce rate per 1,000

Total population

1970 1960

1.9

2.8

5.0

2.0

2.9

2.5

25.0

3.4

3.1

2.3

1.9

4.8

6.3

3.3

5.6

3.5

4.1

4.7

4.1

4.7

3.9

5.1

5.9

5.6

5.8

5.4

5.5

6.1

1.9

5.6

5.1

---

2.7

2.8

.-.

5.5

4.5

6.4

4.3

2.7

2.5

5.9

1.9

5.3

5.6

5.2

-..

4.4

3.9

5.9

1.9

7.7

9.4

1.3

2.4

2.8

0.9

2.6

2.0

35.2

3.0

2.5

(1)

0.8

3.3

4.0

2.3

4.0

2.9

(1)

(1)

3.5

4.3

3.8

3.4

4.2

3.7

3.6

3.3

(1)

4.2

1.1

3.7

(1)

---

2.7

2.3

2.5

3.9

3.3

4.0

3.6

1.7

2.8

3.4

0.7

3.7

(1)

4.1

3.4

3.6

3.3

4.2

1.2

4.1

6.9

1.1

1.9

2.6

1.3

1.4

1.8

43.3

3.1

2.1

(1)

0.7

2.7

3.4

1.8

3.6

2.7

(1)

(1)

3.0

3.4

3.7

2.5

3.4

3.1

2.6

2.4

(1)

3.B

1.0

3.5

(1)

..-

2.3

2.0

2.5

3.5

2.5

3.7

3.3

1.3

1.9

2.5

0.8

3.2

(1)

3.8

3.7

4.8

2.7

4.0

0.9

3.7

6.8

Married

women

1970

8.0

13.5

21.7

9.1

12.6

10.0

104.2

14.4

12.6

10.4

8.1

19.8

26.4

14.7

23.2

15.2

16.9

22.0

18.3

19.2

17.8

21.0

25.9

24.4

25.2

23.7

22.4

26.3

8.2

23.6

19.8

. . .

12.2

12.1

---

23.6

18.7

26.1

17.9

11.9

10.4

25.0

8.3

23.1

26.1

19.7

.-.

18.1

16.8

24.7

8.1

32.6

37.9
Table 7. Divorce retes: each standard metropolitan statistical area, 1960, 1965, and 1970–Con.

[All 1960 and 1965 rates are for SMSA’S as defined in 1960; the 1970 rates are for SMSA’S as defined in 1970; for New England,

metropolitan State economic areas are used ]

Standard metropolitan statistical area

Tuscaloosa, Ala. ...............................................................................................................................

Tyler, Tex. ........................................... ....................................... ............................................ .........

Utica-Rome, N.Y. ........ .................................................. .... .............................................................

Vallejo-Napa, Calif. ................................................................................................. ..... ....................

Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, N.J. ...................................................................................................

Waco, Tex. ...................................................................... ........................................ ...... ...................

Washington, D.C.-Md.-Va. ............ .................. ................ ........................ ..........................................

Waterloo, lowa ................................................................................................................................

West Palm Beach, Fla. ............................................................................................................. .........

Wheeling, W. Vs.-Ohio ........................................................................... ..........................................

With ita, Kans . ............................................................................... ...................................................

Wichita Falls, Tex. .................................. ................ ...... .................................... ...............................

Wilkes-Barre-Hazelton, Pa. ...............................................................................................................

Wilmington, Dei.-N ,J.-Md. ........................... .......... .........................................................................

Wilmington, N.C. ........................ ................ ............................................................ ................ ........

Worcester, Mass. ............................ ........................ ....................... ........................... ........................

York, Pa. .........................................................................................................................................

Youngstown-Warren, Ohio ..................................... ........................................ .... ...... ........................

iThis SMSA was defined after 1960; 1960 and 1965 rates me not available.

2Rates for 1960 and 1965 are for the Beaumont-Port Arthur SMSA.

3For 1965, rate excludes Essex COUSItY.

4F~r 1970, no data for the Indiana portion (Dearborn CountY. Ind.)

Divorce rate per 1,000

Total population

1970

3.0

4.4

2.0

5.7

2.5

5.3

2.3

3.0

4.7

2.7

5.6

5.5

1.0

2.9

3.3

2.3

2.5

3.3

1965

2.5

3.6

0.4

(1)

(1)

3.8

1.8

2.3

3.6

1.9

3.8

4.4

0.9

1.4

(1)

1.7

2.2

2.3

1960

2.8

3.6

0.6

(1)

(1)

3.1

1.4

2.2

3.3

1.5

3.0

4.8

0.7

1.6

(1)

1.1

1.9

2.1

.—

Married

women

.—

1970

13.7

17.7

8.7

23.9

10.4

22.4

10.2

13.3

18.1

11.1

23.3

22,8

4.1

12.5

13.5

9.9

10.0

13.8

51n 1960 and 196 S, there were MO separate SMSA’S: Greensboro-High Point, with a rate of 2.1 in 1960 and 3.3 in 1’965; and

W’bIston-Salem, with a rate of 1.5 in 1960 and 2.5 in 1965.

6For 1960, rate excludes Boyd CountY, KY.

7For 1970, rate excludes Boone, Hancock, Hendricks, and Morgan Counties.

8For 197o, rate excludes Floyd County, Ind.

9For 1960, rate excludes St. Bernard p~ish; for 1965, it excludes Jefferson Parish; for 1970, it excludes St.Tammany Parish.

loF~r 1g70, rate includes divorce petitions filed.
Table 8. Divorce rates by age of husband and wife at time of decree: divorce-registration area and 22 selected States, 1970

[Divorces with age not stated were distributed proportionally. Rates computed per 1,000 married men and women in each age group. States where reporting of age

was less than 75 percent complete are not shown separately. Based on sample data. For sample specifications and for population bases, see appendix]

Aue of husband at decree

30-34

years

22.3

_

12.0

13.9

9.8

14.6

14.4

16.0

20.8

22.9

16.4

23.5

23.9

16.9

14.4

19.8

21.6

15.7

27.4

16.1

34.5

26.2

36.7

22.9

30.6

28.2

28.6

22.4

—

Total

—

14.2

14-19

years

15.1

20-24

years

33.6

25-29

years

30.0

65

years

and

over

1.9

Area 35-39

years

404’4

years

45-49

years

!50-54 55-59 60-64

years

5.1

=

2.6

3.0

2.7

2.3

2.8

3.5

4.5

Divorce-registration area ........................ 17.9 13.8 10.7 3.4

5.9

7.0

5.4

6.2

6.1

7.9

9.6

7.6

3.7

4.5

3.5

3.7

3.8

6.0

6.9

7.3 6.9 17.8 17.1 9.6 8.1 1.9 0.8

2.0

1.7

2.0

2.1

1.9

3.2

Northeastern States ....................................

0.8

0.8

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.6

tinnecticut ................................................................

New York ...................................................................

PennWlvania ...............................................................

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

VermOnt .. ...... ................ ..... ..... ...... .............................

8.3

6.4

8.3

7.8

10.5

13.2

5.3

6.8

7.9

2.1

1.3

22.3

21.3

25.5

29.6

27.0

21.5

5.0

15.6

18.2

13.8

32.6

4.7

11.3

18.8

13.1

24.2

13.5

23.6

37.1

37.1

37.8

45.9

46.2

32.5

20.0

28.8

18.4

14.6

20.3

18.2

21.7

28.6

30.5

24.0

36.4

33.9

24.6

18.3

25.3

9.9

8.7

10.7

10.3

14.7

16.2

17.0

12.0

17.0

20.2

12.4

11.0

16.2

8.5

7.9

8.1

9.2

11.3

12.4

13.8

9.6

14.1

14.0

10.8

8.5

11.4

North Central States ...................................

14.3

10.6

15.9

16.1

10.6

8.4

13.1

14.1

10.2

17.7

10.9

22.8

10.2

6.8

10.9

12.0

7.5

7.2

9.5

7.4

5.2

8.2

8.6

5.1

4.5

6.8

4.7

3.1

3.9

6.7

2.9

3.2

4.7

3.9

2.0

u

1.5

2.1

2.9

1.7

1.0

1.9

2.3

1.0

0.8

Southern States .......................................... 2.1

11.8

7.3

11.6

8.3

17.6

17.9

18.5

11.9

16.3

14.5

16.5

9.3

7.4

5.0

8.4

6.6

13.6

16.9

14.7

9.7

10.7

8.8

9.9

8.8

5.9

3.7

5.2

4.2

9.3

15.1

9.8

6.0

7.7

7.1

8.0

4.8

3.0

2.7

3.2

2.6

6.2

2.1

1.7

2.5

2.0

3.8

35.4

18.8

49.5

18.9

44.7

26.5

19.5

35.0

21.4

46.1

—

36.4

48.9

28.1

41.2

39.8

39.0

29.6

18.1

13.9

20.7

13.6

28.8

23.4

30.5

17.9

22.8

25.1

27.5

15.0

11.8

9.6

15.2

9.6

22.9

25.4

24.5

14.9

18.4

18.0

16.6

13.1

Western States ............................................

30.2

44.5

24.1

65.2

55.3

52.0

38.6

6.3

6.7

5.9

3.3

4.3

4.4

3.7

6.9

4.3

3.0

2.7

2.2

1.7

1.9

24.4

24.1

15.2

21.0

19.2

18.9

15.5

26.7

8.0

4.8

61.5

!34.5

11.5

21.0

See footnotes at end of table.

37
Table 8. Dworce rates by age of husband and wife at time of decree: divorce-registration area and 22 selected States, 1970-Con,

[ Divorces with age not stated were distributed propmticmally. Rates computed per 1,000 married men and women in each age grc.up. States where reporting of age

was less than 75 percent complete are not shown separately. Based cm sample data. For sample specifications and for population bases, see appendix I

Age of wife at decrae

25-29

years

35-39

years

14.8

65

years

and

over

Area

14-19

years

20-24

years

30-34

years

40-44

years

11.9

8.7

454

years

50.54

years

5.6

2.8

3.6

2.5

3.1

2.7

3.4

5.1

5.6

3.5

6.4

6.3

3.8

3.3

5.0

5.5

4.7

5.4

4.4

10.2

55-59

years

3.5

=

1.8

2.4

1.9

1.4

2.1

2.9

2.8

2.7

2.1

3.1

4.3

2,0

2.2

3.3

60-64

years

Total

Divorce-registration area ...... .......... ..... ... 14.0 26.9 33.3 25.7 18.9 2.3 1.3

Northeaster” States..,., ......... ..... ..... ..... .. . ... .. 7.1 11.3 18.1 14.4 10.4 7.8 1.1

1.3

1.3

0.7

1.5

1.2

2.1

2.1

1.7

2.5

3.3

1.3

1.3

2.3

0.5

8.2

6.2

8.1

7.9

10.3

13.1

11.9

8.8

14.6

7.5

10.7

34.4

19.6

13.7

24.3

19.0

24.3

34.3

16.0

12.2

17.3

16.8

19.4

24.1

11.0

9.1

12.0

11.7

16.4

17.3

8.9

6.9

8.4

10.1

11.9

13.5

14.9

9.8

15.9

16.3

10.6

9.0

12.8

8.0

6.4

6.8

7.3

7.7

11.0

12.6

8.6

11.8

11.5

9.7

7.7

9.9

11.4

7.4

12.3

9.3

19.8

57

4:;

4.7

5.C

8.1

7.5

7.9

5.1

8.2

9.9

5.7

5.8

7.6

8.0

5.9

9.6

7.1

15.2

0.5

0.5

0.5

0,6

0.6

1.2

14.1

10.5

16.0

15.9

10.6

8.4

12.9

36.2

40.9

46.6

36.0

29.6

10.3

27.2

34.3

31.0

45.0

44.1

29.4

20.2

28.1

25.6

20.1

28.9

28.1

20.7

16.5

22.1

19.1

13.1

20.1

20.1

13.5

12.1

16.7

18.2

13.8

21.4

14.4

30.4

1.3

0.8

1.2

1.7

0.5

0.7

Southern States ............. ....... .......... .. ........ .. 1.2

14.0

0.0

17.3

10.9

22.7

32.0

10.0

48.1

12.5

28.7

31.8

20.7

42.3

23.1

48.5

44.0

49.9

28.5

59.4

52.5

46.1

34.7

22.8

17.6

31.7

18.0

39.2

14.6

11.2

15.7

10.7

25.4

3.9

2.7

3.1

3.5

7.0

2.7

1.7

2.6

2.2

4.2

1.4

0.9

1.0

1.4

2.7

26.4

24.0

15.5

20.8

19.1

18.7

15.4

—

40.6

27.9

20.3

54.4

43.9

32.8

27.8

32.1

41.8

24.7

32.7

32.4

32.8

28.4

28.3

32.5

19.5

25.0

22.2

25.5

17.5

20.8

27.1

16.7

18.7

20.0

22.3

16.3

21.6

20.8

13.0

14.1

16.2

19.0

10.6

19.1

16.6

10.0

12.2

9.9

9.3

7.3

12.2

10.9

7.6

9.7

5.9

7.7

6.6

8.8

7.5

3.7

3.8

5.1

6.7

3.4

7.3

4.6

2.9

3.9

4.6

2.4

2.0

4.0

3.1

1.9

1.6

1.5

1.1

1.4

lNumber of divorces small, with hig3 sampling variability. For explanation, see appendix.

2Populaticm less than 1,000.

.

38
Table 9. Divorce rates and parcant changes by aga of husband and wife at time of decrea: 4 selected Statas, 1860 and 1970

[Based cm sample data. Rates computed per 1,000 men and women in e

State, yaar, and percent change

Total, 4 States

1970 ..... ..... ............ ........ .......... ..... ........... .... ... ..... .................. ........ ..... .......... .

1860 ............... .......... .......... .......... ..... ..... ........ ..... ..... ........ .......... ........ ...... .....

Parcant ctianW ..... ... .. ..... ..... ...... .... ..... ..... ........ ..... ..... ..... ..................... .......... .

Hawaii

1970 .... ..... ..... .......... .................... ..... ... .......... ..... ..... ..... .... . .......... ........... ..... ..

lm ... ............ .......... ........ .. ........ ........ .. .................. ..... ... .. .. ...... .... ...... ........ ...

Parcant chanW ........... .......................... .. ........ .. ... ..... ........ ..... ..... .... .... .. ........ ...

Iowa

.—

1970 ............. .................... ..... ....................... .. ........ .......... ... ..... ..... ... .......... ...

lso ........ ..... ..... .......... ..... ............... ... ....... ........ ..... ........ ..... ..... ............. ........

Percant change ..... ... ....... ............. ..... .................. ............. ..... ........ .. ........ ........

Tennessee

1970 ...................................... .. ........ ........ ..... ..... .......... ........ ..... ..... ........ ........

l%o ... ..... ..... .. ........ .. ... ..... .. ........ .. ... ............. ..... ..... ............. ..... .... .... ........ .....

Parcent chanW ........ ..... ..... .......... ........ ..... ..... .......... ..... ..... ................ ........ .....

Wisconsin

1970 ... ..... ..... ....... ............... ........ ........ .. .......... .... .... ........ .................. ........ .....

l%o ........ .......... .................... .. ........ .................. ...... .... ... ..... ........ .......... ... .....

Percent change . ..... ....... ..... ... ..... ..... .......... .......... ... ....................... ........ ..... .....

Total, 4 States

1970 ...... ..... ..... ..... ..........! .... .......... .... ...... ...... .. ............. ..... ..... ....... ................

1860 ........... ..... .................... ............. .......... ........ .......... ..... ........ .. ... ............. ..

Parcent changs ................ .......... .................. ........ .......... ..... ..... .................. .....

Hawaii

1970 .... ..... ..... .......... ...... .... .......... ............. ..... .... ........... ........... ..... ........... .. .. ..

1S60 ....... .. .......... .......... .......... ........ .......... .................... ........... ........... .... .......

Percent change ............ .......... .......... .................. ........ .. ... ..... .......... ..... ..... .......

lowa —

1970 .. .................... ..... ........ ..... ..... .......... ..... ............. .......... ...... .... ............... ..

1%0 ... ............ .......... ..... ..... ..... .......... ..... ... .......... .. ........ .... ...... ..... ..... ........ ....

Parcant change ..... .... ...... ..... ..... .......... .......... ........ ... ....... .... ...... .. ... ..... ........ ....

Tennessae

1970 .......... .... ...... .......... .... ...... ..... ..... .. ........ ...... .... ............. ..... .......... ...... .. ....

1860 ............... .......... ..... ..... .......... ..... ..... ............. ..... .. ....... ...... ... .. ..... ... .........

Percent change .......... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ........ .. ........ ...... .... ..... ..... ........ ..... ....

Wieconsin

1970 ........ ...... ...e.... ........ ............ ..... ..... ..... ..... .......... ........ ... ..... .......... ...... .. ....

l%o ......... .. ... ..... .......... ..... ..... ... ..... .. ........ .................... ...... .......... ........ .. .. .....

Percent change .............. ...... .. .... ...... .... ........................ ...... .. ..... ..... ...... .. .. .. ... ..

I age. group. N umemtcws for 1960 rates are averages Of 1960 and 1961 figurca ]

II Age at decrea

50

,Total Under

20

20-24 25-29 30-34 3539 40-44 45-49 yaars

years years years years yaars years and

years

over

Husband

12.5

7.5

+66.7

15.2

10.5

+44.8

10.6

7.0

+51 .4

17.7

11.0

+60.9

8.4

4.3

+95.3

12.4

7.5

+65.3

15.5

10.9

+42.2

10.5

7.0

+50.0

17.3

10.8

+60.2

8.4

4.3

+95.3

23.4

24.8

-5.6

4.9

3.0

+63.3

25.5

28.5

-10.5

32.6

31.4

+3.8

5.0

12.4

-59.7

36.5

29.0

+25.9

20.3

16.1

+26.1

40.9

28.7

+42.5

48.1

37.5

+28.3

10.3

-x I

35.7

22.0

+62.3

24.1

20.6

+17.0

37.8

22.3

+69.5

49.5

30.8

+60.7

20.0

11.5

+73.9

31.4

18.9

+66.1

28.5

21.6

+31.9

31.0

21.8

+42.2

42.3

24.5

+72.7

20.2

10.4

+84.2

26.1

15.5

+68.4

28.1

16.4

+71 .3

24.0

16.6

+44.6

35.0

22.4

+56.3

18.3

7.9

+131.6

23.2

11.1

+109.0

24.7

15.0

+64.7

m.1

10.6

+69.6

31.7

16.0

+88.1

16.5

6.0

-1

.175.0

19.9

10.2

+95. 1

22.9

14.7

+55.8

16.4

9.6

+70.8

27.4

14.3

+91 .6

14.4

5.9

+144.1

Wife

16.1

9.0

+78.9

19.5

13.4

+45.5

13.1

8.2

+59.8

21.4

12.2

+75.4

12.1

5.5

+1 20.0

15.0

7.5

+1 00.0

17.9

10.4

+72.1

12.0

7.6

+57.9

20.7

9.9

+109.1

11.0

4.6

+139.1

12.0

7.1

+69.0

16.7

10.1

+65.3

9.8

6.3

+55.6

15.7

9.8

+60.2

9.0

4.5

.100.0

11.4

6.9

+65.2

14.9

9.3

+60.2

9.6

6.2

+54.8

15.2

9.8

+55.1

8.5

4.4

+93.2

9.8

5.9

+66. 1

13.0

7.1

+63.1

8.6

6.5

+32.3

12.3

7.1

+73.2

7.7

4.3

+79.1

8.9

5.6

+58.9

11.9

8.3

+43.4

6.8

5.2

+30.8

11.6

7.2

+61.1

7.2

4.1

+75.6

7.1

4.2

+69.0

10.0

5.3

+88.7

5.1

4.3

+18.6

9.6

5.3

+81.1

5.8

3.0

+93.3

3.4

2.5

+36.0

6.2

3.8

+63.2

2.6

2.2

+18.2

4.7

3.5

+34.3

2.5

1.8

+38.9

2.4

1.8

+33.3

4.6

3.2

+43.8

2.0

1.4

+42.9

3.1

2.4

+28.2

1.9

1.4

+35.7

39
Table 10. Divorce rates by race of husband and wife: divorce-registration area and 23 selected States, 1970

[Divorces with race not stated were distributed proportionally. Rates computed per 1,000 married men and women in each racial group.

States where reporting of race was less than 75 percent complete are not shown separately. Michigan and Ohio do not report race

and are excluded from DRA rates by race. Based on samp data. For sample specifications and for population bases, see appendix ]

Race of husband Race. of wife

,, Area

Total

14.2

~

7.3

White Negro Other Total White Negro Other

Divorce-registratims area ..................................... 13.7 17.4 9.6 14.0 13.7 15.6 9.5

Northeastern 1.9 States ................................................. 6.9 11.7 3.5 7.1 6.9 10.0

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

New York ................................................................................

Pennsylvania ............................................................................

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

Vermont ...............................................................................<..

8.3

6.4

8.3

7.8

10.5

13.2

7.8

5.9

8.0

7.6

10.4

12.6

18.9

11.1

11.6

18.6

225.2

23.3

9.0

3.4

11.7

4.1

27.1

4.9

8.2

6.2

8.1

7.9

10.3

13.1

11.5

11,5

14.2

0.9

6.0

7.7

5.8

8.0

7.8

10.3

12.6

16.9

9.3

10.1

17.7

227,6

North Central 21.2 States ...... ..........................................

lllinois ............................................ ................ .......... ................

lowa ............................... ................ .......... ...... .......... ................

Kansas ..................................................................... .. ...............

Missouri ......... .......................... ...... ........ ..................................

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

Wisconsin ................... .... .......... ................................................

12.3

15.3

15.0

13-3

18.o

6.9

4.0

14.3

10.6

15.9

16.1

10.6

8.4

14.1

17.8

14.1

10.2

17.7

10.9

22.8

13.6

10.5

15.3

16.5

10.4

7.9

14.0

21.7

29.1

30.9

23.6

23.8

33.1

15.0

14.1

10.5

16.0

15.9

10.6

8.4

13.9

13.5

10.4

15.4

15.5

10.3

7.9

14.0

19.3

24.9

32.1

22.1

22.5

30.6

13.9

14.5

14.2

17.3

11.3

17-3

5.0

Southern States 4.3 ......... ...... .......... .... .. .........................

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

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

Ma~land .......... ........................ .................................... ............

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

Virginia .............................. ...... ........ .................. ................ .. ....

18.0

14.0

9.8

17.8

10.7

23.1

17.0

17.1

12.4

17.5

12.3

29.2

15.2

1,27.7

15.9

14.7

11.()

11.2

17.3

14.0

10.0

17.3

10.9

22.7

17.8

13.9

9.8

17.6

10.8

23.1

15.6

15.8

11.3

16.0

11.9

27.3

111+9

115.6

11.9

12a4

Western States 11.4 ............................................... ...........

- Alaska........................................................................................

.

California ............................................................... ..................

Hawaii .................. .......................................................... ..........

Idaho ............................................................. ...... .................. ..

Montana ........................................................................ ........<..

Oregon ......... .............. .................................... .................. ...... ..

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

24.4

24.1

15.2

21.0

19.2

18.9

15.5

25.0

24.3

19.8

20.9

18.5

18.8

15.5

19.9

29.3

24.9

273,5

234,2

27.7

234.7

20.7

9.0

12.0

19.7

44.1

18.3

11.2

26.4

24.0

15.5

20.8

19.1

18.7

15.4

26.7

24.3

19.3

20.8

18.5

18.7

15.5

31.4

27.4

21.8

247.2

229,0

20.6

24.6

23.9

8.8

13.0

14.5

40.2

12.3

9.1

lNumber of divorces small, with high sampling variabilityy. For explanation, see appendix.

ZpoPulation less than 1,000.

40
Table 11. Divorce rates and.xmant changes by race of husband and wife: 4 selected States, 1960 and 1970

[Rates per 1,000 population af

State, yaar, and parcent change

Total, 4 States

1970 .......................................................................................

1960 .......................................................................................

Percant change ........................................................................

Hawaii

1970 .......................................................................................

1960 .......................................................................................

Parcent change ........................................................................

Iowa

1970 .......................................................................................

1960 .......................................................................................

Percent change ........................................................................

Tennassee

1970 .......................................................................................

l%o .......................................................................................

Percent change ........................................................................

Wisconsin

1970 .......................................................................................

1960 .......................................................................................

Percant change ........................................................................

.15 yeara and over. Based on sample data]

Race of husband

Total

8.5

5.1

+66.7

9.2

5.6

+64.3

7.4

4.9

+51 .0

12.4

7.7

+61 .0

5.6

2.8

-100.0

Whita

8.4

4.9

+71 .4

11.7

7.2

+62.5

7.3

4.8

+52. 1

12.8

7.8

+64.1

I

5.3

A

2.6

103.8

Negro

11.8

7.4

+59.5

111.4

15.3

+115.1

16.7

19.8

-15.7

10.2

6.4

+59.4

18.8

11.8

+58.8

Other

7.1

4.7

+51 .1

7.4

4.8

+54.2

12.9

. . .

12.2

. . .

3.5

15.2

-32.7

Total

7.9

4.9

+61 .2

10.0

6.7

+49.3

6.7

4.7

+42.6

11.1

7.1

+56.3

5.2

2.7

+92.6

Race of wifa

White

7.7

4.7

+63.8

13.0

8.8

+47.7

6.6

4.5

+46.7

11.6

7.3

+58.9

4.9

2.5

+86.0

Negro

9.8

6.5

+50.8

116.o

15.3

201.9

13.0

17.0

-23.5

8.4

5.6

+50.0

16.6

11.0

+50.9

Other

7.9

5.8

+36.2

8.2

5.8

+41 .4

18.9

. . .

. . .

3.1

17.8

-60.3

lNumber of djvorcea small, with high sampling variability. For explanation, see appendix.
Table 12. Marriage-order specific divorce rates for husbands and wives: divorce-registration area and 21 selected States, 1970

[Based on sample data. Nebraska does not report marriage order. PI

Population, 1970. Detailed Characteristics. Final Re

Area

Divorce-registration area ............................................................

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

California ..................... ...................................................... .......... .............

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

Hawaii ............................ ..................................................... ......................

ldaho .. ................................................................................ ................. ......

Illinois ........... ............................................................................................

lowa ..................... ........ .. ...................................................................... .....

Kansas .......................................................................................................

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

Maryland ....................... ............... .. .............................................. .............

Missouri .......... ...... .......................................... ................ ............... ............

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

New York ............................................. .....................................................

Oregon ......................................................................................................

Pennsylvania ..............................................................................................

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

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

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

Vermont .................. ......................................... ................ .........................

Virginia ................................................................... ..................................

Wisconsin ............... ........................ .......... ...................... ...........................

dat,ion bases from U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census of

rtIPC(1)-D .’State Volumes. table 1521

Husband Wife

Married Married

Total

Married more

Total

Married more

once than once than

once once

14.2

24.4

24.1

8.3

15.2

21.0

14.3

10.6

15.9

14.1

10.2

16.1

19.2

6.4

18.9

8.3

7.8

17.7

15.5

10.5

10.9

8.4

Marriage-order specific divorce rate

12.3

20.4

20.7

“7.7

13.4

17.0

12.4

8.8

13.4

12.3

9.8

12.8

15.3

6.1

16.0

7.9

7.3

15.2

12.8

10.0

10.2

7.7

26.4

40.4

38.0

13.9

30.8

40.1

27.6

24.7

30.2

25.2

12.7

33.4

41.0

9.2

30.1

11.6

13.0

33.3

31.5

14.1

15.7

16.6

14.0 12.0

26.4 21.5

24.0 20.3

8.2 7.6

15.5 13.2

20.8 16.4

14.1 12.2

10.5 8.8

16.0 13.4

14.0 11.5

10.0 9.6

15.9 12.8

19.1 15.3

6.2 5.9

18.7 15.6

8.1 7.8

7.9 7.3

17.3 14.5

15.4 12.7

10.3 9.5

10.9 10.0

8.4 7.5

27.2

46.8

38.8

14.2

35.8

40.1

26.9

24.7

30.9

29.6

12.4

33.5

38.8

9.2

29.8

11.2

14.4

36.3

31.9

17.3

16.9

17.5

42
Table 13. Divorce rates by reported number of children under 18 years of age: divorce-registration area and each State, 1970

[Based on sample data. Rates computed uer 1,000 married women under 55 yt

years of age; as obtained from U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census of Popula]

State Volumes, tables 152 end 155. For computation methods, see appendi>

s of age with a specified number of children under 18

T, 1970. Detailed Characteristics. Final Report PC(2).

Children reported No

children

reAll Area ,30r

more

Total 1 2

15.1

~

8.6

9.9

7.3

10.1

10.5

12.2

15.4

15.8

11.8

17.3

16.0

16.7

12.5

17.2

9.5

10.3

14.3

Divorce-registration area .................................................................. 18.1 26.1 15.0 19.1 11.3

Northeastern States ............................... .............. ................................. 9.4 12.3 8.3 10.0 6.4

8.4

5.6

6.7

9.1

12.3

12.0

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

New York ...................................................... ...... .................................................

Pennsylvania ........................................................ ...................... .................... .......

Rhode Island .......................................... .............. .......................... .....................-

Vermont ........................................................................................ .......................

10.6

8.2

10.8

10.6

13.7

18.2

12.2

11.0

14.3

12.6

15.6

26.1

10.0

7.1

9.4

9.9

13.1

15.3

12.0

8.5

11.6

10.2

15.2

North Central States ............ ................................................................. 19.3

Illinois ................................................................................................................ ..

Iowa ......................... ..................... ......................................................................-

Kansas ............................................................................... ...................................

Michigan .......... .....................................................................................................

Missouri. ...............................................................................................................

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

Ohio ...................... .............................................................................. .................

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

Wisconsin ..............................................................................................................

18.3

14.4

21.7

18.5

21.5

14.5

m.2

12.3

11.2

18.3

25.5

20.7

31.3

27.2

32.6

m.2

27.7

20.3

15.4

27.4

15.5

12.3

18.1

15.5

17.0

12.7

17.3

10.1

9.8

14.6

19.1

16.5

22.7

19.2

22.1

16.5

21.6

13.7

11.8

18.6

12.1

9.6

14.7

12.3

12.5

10.1

13.9

8.0

8.2

10.9

14.1

11.7

11.0

7.0

14.4

8.3

16.8

Southern States ....................................................................................

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

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

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

Maryland ................................................................................................ ..............

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

Wrginia .............................................................. ................ ...................................

23.8

21.4

18.2

12.2

22.4

13.4

28.9

33.2

33.6

28.5

19.3

32.5

18.9

41.5

20.1

16.4

13.9

9.3

18.1

11.1

23.7

25.2

21.8

18.0

11.2

22.8

13.7

31.4

21.1

15.6

12.7

9.9

16.4

11.0

23.7

24.7

24.5

16.7

22.8

21.5

23.2

17.0

22.8

Western States .......................................... ............................................

28.7

30.5

18.2

27.2

24.6

24.9

19.3

28.0

43.4

43.4

25.2

44.9

36.8

31.8

31.8

44.5

23.4

24.9

15.8

21.2

m.5

22.0

15.9

23.2

31.1

33.2

16.7

28.9

28.1

26.3

21.9

32.3

17.1

17.5

14.4

14.4

14.4

17.2

11.7

16.6

ldaho ....................................................................................................................

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

Oregon ................................................................. .................................................

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

Wyoming ....................................................................................... .......................

43
Table 14. Percent distribution of divorcing husbands and wives by age at time of decree, according to marriacie order: divorce-registration

area, 1970

[ Based on sample data]

I

Age at decree

Total Under

E

65

20

20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40.44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 years

years

years years years years years years years years years and

over

Marriage order

Husband

Percent distribution

16.2 12.8 10.7 8.3

6.5

13.8

6.8

5.0

12.4

Total .............. 100.0 0.8 16.3

1.1

0.0

4.1

5.4

0.5

22.8

26.3

12.2

21.8

1.8

1.0

4.1

1.0

0.4

2.6

T

5.4 3.2

3.9 2.1

10.3 6.4

1.7

Married once ..................

Married more than once .

100.0

100.0

100.0

20.8

3.3

24.9

16.7

14.5

14.4

11.9

15.3

11.0

9.1

15.1

9.4

0.6

5.0

0.8

Wife —

Total .... ..........

*

3.8 2.0

2.6 1.1

7.7 4.6

Married once ........ ..........

Married more than once .

100.0

100.0

30.6

8.5

23.8

15.5

13.9

15.9

9.5

14.8

7.5

14.9

0.2

2.6

Table 15. Percent distribution of divorces by marriage order of husband and wife, according to aga at time of decree: divorce-registration

area, 1970

[Based on sample data]

Husband I Wife

I

Marriad

Married more

once than

onca

Married

Married

more

than Total

once

Age at decree

Total

once

Percent distribution

Total.. ............................................................. .. ........ ...... ........ . 25.1

‘\

100.0

=

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

74.9 100.0II 74.2 26.8

98.5

95.0

86.5

77.4

69.9

64.1

58.5

52.7

49.2

41.1

26.5

1.5

5.0

13.5

22.6

30.1

35.9

41.5

47.3

50.8

58.9

73.5

100.0 96.6

100.0 91.2

100.0 81.6

100.0 71.5

100.0 65.1

100.0 59.1

100.0 53.7

100.0 49.0

100.0 41.9

100.0 31.9

100.0 21.2

3.4

8.8

18.4

28.5

34.9

40.9

46.3

61.0

58.1

68.1

78.8

.—

44
Table 16. Median age of husband and wife at time of decree, by marriage ordar: divorce-registration area and 22 selected States, 1970

[Nebraska does not report marriage order. Based on sample data]

Area

Divorce-registration area ........... .................................................

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

California ............ ........................ ............................................ .............. ....

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

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

Hawaii ................................................................................. ................ ......

ldaho ........................................ .................................................................

lllinois ........... . ........................................ ...... ........ .............................. .......

Iowa ............................................................................................... ...........

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

Ma~land .................. .................... ...... ................................................ .......

Mssouri .................... .................................................................................

Mon@na ......... ............................................... ............................................

Naw York ................................. ........ .............. .................... .......................

Oregon ..................... ...................... .............................. .................. ...........

Pennsylvania ................................ ........................ ......................................

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

Tennessm ................................................................ ................ ..................

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

Varmont .......................................... .................................... ......................

Virginia. ....................................................................................................

Wisconsin ..................................................................................................

Husband I Wife

m

Total

32.9

32.8

33.9

33.9

30.8

34.4

30.8

32.8

30.6

30.4

31.9

33.7

31.6

32.2

35.3

33.0

32.9

33.7

30.7

30.7

32.8

32.8

33.3

Married

once

30.5

29.5

30.9

32.4

28.7

32.1

27.8

30.6

28.8

28.3

29.2

32.2

28.8

29.3

34.1

29.5

31.4

32.1

29.0

28.4

31.8

31.2

31.8

Married

more

than Total

once

Married

Married more

once than

once

Median age at decree

41.6

41.4

42.7

43.6

38.0

44.2

39.4

41.3

39.1

39.3

40.0

42.6

40.0

39.0

43.3

41.2

42.1

43.1

38.5

38.7

41.0

43.0

43.7

29.3

30.9

31.2

27.9

31.0

27.5

29.6

27.9

27.8

28.7

30.5

28.5

28.5

31.5

28.7

29.7

30.5

27.7

28.0

29.7

30.1

30.4

26.5

28.2

29.6

26.0

29.0

24.8

27.9

26.1

25.8

26.2

29.1

26.2

25.9

30.6

26.8

28.8

29.4

26.3

26.0

28.5

28.5

28.9

38.2

36.2

39.5

40.3

33.8

40.0

33.8

37.8

36.0

35.7

36.2

40.8

36.3

36.1

41.7

39.0

39.6

39.6

33.6

35.3

39.9

40.5

40.5

45
Table 17. Percent distribution of divorces by race of husband and wife: divorce-registration area and 23 selected States, 1970

[ Based on sample data. Michigan and Ohio do not report race]

II Husband and wife, same race 1 Husband and wife, different races

All

divorces

Total White

White- WhiteNegro Other Total NegroNegro other other

Area

Percent distribution

9.5 0.7 1.2 0.4

6.5 -

1.7 0.5

0.7 0,3

0.2 0.1

22.4 0.6

0.7 0.1

0.7 0.4

0.7 0.4

1.0 0.2

0.4 0.1

0.6 0.3

0,2 0.1

2.0 0.0

0.4 0.2

1.1 0.7

1.1 0.3

0.8 0.5

0.7 0.2

0.1 0.0

1.5 0.1

0.1

0.2 0.1

0.6 0.3

Divorce-registration area . .... .... ............ 100.0 98.8 88.7 0.8 0.1

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

California ............................................................

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

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

Hawaii ...................... ................ ........ .................. .

Idaho .............. ........ .................. ...... ....................

93.5

98.3

99.3

99.8

77.6

99.3

99.3

99.3

99.0

99.6

99.4

99.8

98.0

99.6

98.9

98.9

99.2

99.3

99.9

98.5

99.9

99.8

99.4

83.4

91.3

89.0

81.3

38.6

98,0

64.7

97.3

91.9

93.4

82.6

88.8

92.9

95.2

82.9

97.3

90.3

95.3

68.8

97.5

99.5

83.5

97.3

2.7

6.4

10.3

18,5

0.9

0.6

14.6

1,9

6.9

6.3

16.7

10.9

0.3

4.2

15.8

1.0

9.0

4.1

11.1

0.7

0,4

16.3

7.9

0.1

0.1

0.5

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.0

0.1

0.0

0.0

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

7.4

0.6

0.0

0.0

38,1

0.7

0.1

0.2

0.1

4.8

0.2

0.2

0.5

0.3

0.0

0.2

6.3

1.1

0.4

0.1

21.3

0.6

0.3

0.3

0.8

0.1

0.2

0.1

1.9

0,2

0.3

0.8

0,2

0,4

1.3

0.1

0.0

0.2

Illinois ...................... ................ ...........................

lowa ....................................................................

Kansas ......... .. ................ ......................................

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

MaWland .................. ................ ........................ .. .

Missouri ......... .......................... ................ ...........

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

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

New York ........... .. .......... ........ ...... .. ...... .. ...... ......

Oregon .................... ........ ...... ..............................

Pennsylvania ........................................... ............

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

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

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

Vermont ........................ ................ .......... ...... .. ...

Virginia ......................... .......... .......... ........ .... ......

Wisconsin .................................. ..........................

Table 18. Percent distribution of divorces by aga at time of decree, according to race of husband and wife: divorce-registration area,

1970

[ Based on sample data. Michigan and Ohio do not report race]

Race of husband I

Race of wife

All

White Negro Other

All

races

White

races

Negro Other

Age at decree

Percent distribution

Total ........................ ................ ............................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

I

100.0 100.0

4.1 4.4

24.9 25.5

21.8 21.3

14.4 14.0

11.0 10.9

9.4 9.1

6.8 6.8

3.8 3.9

2.0 2.1

1.0 1.0

0.8 0.9

0.2

12.8

19.5

16.7

‘ 14.9

12.3

8.7

5.2

3,8

3.1

2.9

2.3

19.7

22.0

15.6

16.2

12.0

6.2

3.7

1.4

0.6

0.3

Under 20 years .................... ................ ................ ...... .............

20-24 years ................... ...... ....................................................

25-29 years .............................................................................

30-34 years ............................... ..............................................

35-39 yaars ............... ..............................................................

40-44 years ............... ................ ......4. .. ...... .......... ...... ........ .. ....

4549 years ............... .................................... ................ ...... ....

50-54 years ............... ..............................................................

55-59 years .............................................................................

60-64 years .............................................. ...............................

65 years and over .................... ........................ .......... ...... .. .. ....

0.8

16.3

22.8

16.2

12.8

10.7

8.3

5.4

3.2

1.8

1.7

0.9

16.9

22.8

15.9

12.5

10.5

8.3

5.4

3.2

1.7

1.7

0.3

10.4

22.2

18.1

15.5

12.0

8.6

6.0

2.9

2.0

2.0

1.7

19.2

23.7

17.4

12,4

10,7

7.4

3.8

1.8

1.2

0.8

46
Table 19. Median ega of husband and wife at time of dacrea, by race: divorce-registration area and 23 selected States, 1970

[Based on sample data. Medians for the “All races” columns computed from data by single years; medians for other columns, from

mowed data. Michigan and Ohio do not report race]

Area

Divorce-registration area ............................................

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

California ..... ........................ .................................... .................

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

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

Hawaii ................ ................ ............ .......... ................................ .

ldaho ....... .. ...... ........................................ ............ ......................

lllinois ........................... ...................................... ......................

lowa ..... .... .................................... ...... .. .............. ...... ...... .. ...... ...

Kansas ................................................................ .................. .....

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

MaWland ..... .. ................................................ ................ ............

Missouri .............................. ...................... ...... .................... .......

Montina ......................................... .................................... ...... .

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

New York ...... .. ........ ............ ................ ............................ ........ ..

Oregon ........... ............... ...... ...... ................ .................... .. .... ......

Pennsylvania ........ ...... .................................................... ...... ......

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

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

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

Vermont .. ...... ................ ...... ........ .. ...... ........ .............. .. ...... ...... ..

Virginia ......... ...... .......... ...... .............. .. ...... .............. .. ...... ........ ..

Wisconsin ............................ ..................................... .................

lcomputed from 50 to 100 divorces.

2N0 women Of Other races divorced in this State.

Reea of husband I

Race of wife

All

White Negro Other

All

Whita Negro

races races

Other

Median age

32.9

32.8

33.9

33.9

30.8

34.4

30.8

32.8

30.6

30.4

31.9

33.7

31.6

32.2

31.1

35.3

33.0

32.9

33.7

30.7

30.7

32.8

32.8

33.3

32.9

32.9

34.0

33.9

30.4

33.7

31.2

32.4

30.8

30.3

32.0

33.1

31.6

32.7

31.5

35.4

33.2

32.5

33.6

30.7

30.9

33.1

32.8

33.4

34.7

●

34.1

34.5

33.1

●

●

35.5

31.3

30.6

35.8

37.1

35.6

*

29.9

35.4

32.5

36.5

133.1

32.5

*

●

34.9

35.4

35.3

32.5

36.4

●

●

35.7

●

*

*

●

*

●

●

30.0

●

40.0

137.5

●

●

●

●

*

●

●

29.8 29.7

28.3 28.3

30.9 30.9

31.2 31.1

27.9 27.6

31.0 30.8

27.5 27.9

29.6 29.3

27.9 28.1

27.8 28.0

28.7 28.7

30.5 29.7

28.5 28.5

28.5 28.8

28.6 28.7

31.5 31,5

28.7 28.8

28.7 28.4

30.5 30.8

27.7 27.9

28.0 28.2

28.7 29.8

30.1 29.7

30.4 30.3

31.5

●

30.5

32.1

28.8

●

●

32.0

27.8

28.7

32.1

34.5

31.7

●

28.2

33.0

128.3

33.3

130.()

28.5

*

●

32.5

31.8

31.9

28.8

34.6

●

●

31.7

*

*

●

129.o

*

*

*

27.9

*

+

134.2

+

(2;

(2;

●

*

,/

47
Table 20. Median age of husband and wife at time of decree, by race. with percent changes: 12 selected States, 1959 and 1970

[ Based on sample data. Computed from grouped frequencies]

State

Husband

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

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

ldaho ................................................................................................................

lowa .................................................................................................................

Kansas..............................................................................................................

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

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

Oregon..............................................................................................................

PennsylWnia .....................................................................................................

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

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

Wisconsin..........................................................................................................

Wife —

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

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

ldaho ................................................................................................................

Iowa .................................................................................................................

Kansas. .............................................................................................................

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

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

Oregon..............................................................................................................

PennsylWnia .....................................................................................................

Tannessee .........................................................................................................

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

Wisconsin..........................................................................................................

lcomputed from 50 to 100 divorces.

White

1970 1959

Median age

32.9

30.4

31.2

30.8

30.3

32.7

31.5

33.2

32.5

30.7

30.9

33.4

29.3

27.6

27.9

28.1

28.0

28.8

28.7

29.8

29.4

27.9

28.2

30.3

35.9

32.4

33.9

32.7

33.5

34.3

34.2

35.9

“35.2

32.6

32.5

35.4

31.6

28.8

28.6

29.5

30.3

30.0

31.0

32.6

32.3

29.1

29.1

32.7

Percent

change

-8.4

-6.2

-8.0

-5.8

-9.6

-4.7

-7.9

–7.5

-7.7

-5.8

-4,9

-5.6

-7,3

-4.2

-5.7

-4.7

-7.6

-4.0

-7.4

-8.6

-9.0

-4.1

-3.1

-7.3

All other

Median aga

32.9

33.1

129.2

31.8

30.9

27.4

30.6

35.4

36.6

32.5

128.9

35.3

29.5

29.8

*

28.4

28.7

27.2

30.6

30.6

33.2

28.5

127.9

31.8

133.6

36.2

●

34.7

34.6

*

*

37.9

38.5

35.7

*

34.8

129.5

32.4

*

30.8

31.0

*

*

32.3

35.2

32.7

*

31.1

Percent

change

-2.1

-8.6

*

-8.4

-10.7

*

●

-6.6

-4.9

-9.0

*

+1.4

-8.;

*

-7.8

-7.4

*

*

-5.3

-5.7

-12.8

*

+2.3
Table 21. Percent distribution of divorces by number of this marriage of husband ~d wife, by number of this marriage of spouse:

divorce-registration area, 1970

[Nebraska does not report number of this marriage. Based on sample data]

Number of this marriage of husband and wife

Husband

Total .................................... ..................................... ............

First marriage ....................... ........ .........................................................

Second marriage .................... .................................................. ..............

Third marriage .................................................. ....... .............................

Fourth marriage ............. ............... ....... .......................... ................ .......

Fifth marriage ..................... ...................... ............................................

Sixth marriage ..................................... ................................................ ..

Wife

Total ... ................ .......................................... ...... ..................

First marriage .......................................... .............. ................................

second marriage ....................................................................................

Third marriage ............................................... .................................... ...

Fourth marriage .............. .................. .................. .......... ........................

Fifth marriage ................................................ .......................................

Sixth marriage ............................................................ ...........................

Total

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

Number of this marriage of spouse

Sixth

First Second Third Fourth Fifth or

. more

Percent distribution

74.2

86.2

37.4

22.1

14.7

13.1

11.2

74.9

88.0

38.9

22.6

19.6

15.7

26.3

19.6

9.9

48.3

45.5

45.7

41.3

41.6

19.0

9.4

47.1.

45.0

41.1

47.1

31.7

4.7

1.4

11.1

24.9

24.4

25.3

31.8

4.5

1.3

10.5

23.9

21.7

23.6

24.2

1.1

0.3

2.4

5.3

13.2

11.0

8.8

1.1

0.2

2.6

5.8

13.3

4.9

6.8

0.3

0.1

0.7

1.4

1.2

5.0

5.4

0.3

0.1

0.6

:::

5.6

9.6

0.1

0.0

0.2

0.7

0.8

4.3

1.2

0.2 ‘

0.0

0.3

1.1

1.3

3.1

1.4

49

/
Table 22. Estimated number of children under 18 yeare of age involved in divorce, average number of children oer decree. and averaae numbar of children par

decree for couples with chil&en, by race: divorce&gistr&ion area and 23 salec(ed States, {970 ‘-

,–

[ Based on sa le data. Michigan and Ohio do not revert race I

Average number of children per decree for

couples with children

Average number of

children per decrae

Number of children

Negro Other White Nagro Other White Nagro

.—

2.18

❑ =

2.12

2.08

2,32

2.05

2.11

●

2.31

2.09

2.45

2.10

2.06

2.24

●

2.30

2.12

1.69

2.10

2.51

2.19

2.31

2.22

2.76

Other

2.30

-

2.59

2.02

●

●

2.49

3.62

1.60

.

2.20

●

●

2.57

●

1.46

2.35

●

●

2.49

3.00

Divorce-registration area ... .. .... .. ...... ........ .. ...... ............ 45,400 7,200 1.19 1.28 1.36 2.01

2,200 1,700

123,000 111,300

8,700 7,800

19,600 15,500

3,900 1,200

4,300 4,200

47,600 39,900

9,600 9,500

11,100 10,000

12,000 11,100

10,100 8,600

20,200 17,600

4,000 3,600

5,300 5,000

34,400 26,100

12,300 12,000

29,300 26,500

2,600 2,500

18,600 16,100

5,200 5,100

1,600 1,800

13,8m 11,300

13,100 11,700

100

9,600

900

4,000

100

(1)

7,600

200

1,000

900

1,400

2,600

(1)

300

5,100

100

2,800

100

2,500

100

2,500

1,300

400

2,100

(1)

(1)

2,700

100

100

(1)

100

(1)

(1)

400

(1)

100

100

(1)

(1)

100

loa

1.21

1.09

1.49

1.02

1.15

1.20

1.28

1.38

1.24

1.11

1.13

1.10

1.26

1.42

1.32

1.26

1.30

1.54

1.06

1.43

1.76

1.12

1.53

1.15

1.25

1,47

1.15

1.14

●

1.40

1.40

1.60

1.27

0.88

1.31

●

1.67

1.18

1.05

1.27

1.44

1.33

1.81

1.25

1.91

1.80

1.03

●

●

i .73

2.23

1.00

●

1.30

●

●

1.82

●

0.56

1.17

●

●

1.84

1.69

2.11

1.93

2.14

1.92

2.04

2.06

2.10

2.15

2.07

2.04

2.01

1.98

2.20

2.15

2.08

2.07

2.00

2.24

1.64

2.21

2.38

1.93

2.29
Table 23. Rate of children involved in divorce per 1,000 children under 18 years of age, by race: divorce-registration area and 23

selected States, 1970

[Michigan and Ohio do not report race and are excluded from DRA rates by race. E

Area

Divorce-registration araa ..................................... .............................................................

Northeastern States:

ConnMticut ................................................................................................................................

New York ................................................................................................................................ ...

PennWlvania ...............................................................................................................................

Rhode Island ..............................................................................................................................

Varmont ......................... ............................................................................... ........................ .....

North Cantral States:

Illinois ........................................................................................................................................

lowa ..........................................................................................................................................-

Kansas ........................................................................................................................................

Missouri ......................................................................................................................................

Nebraska ...................................................................................................................................-

Wisconsin ............ .......................................................................................................................

Southern States:

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

Kantucky ................................................................................................................. ..................

Maryland ............................ ...................................................................................... .................

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

Virginia .................................... .................................................... ..............................................

Westarn States:

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

California ............................................ .......................................................................................

Hawaii ................................................................................................................................ ........

ldaho ..........................................................................................................................................

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

Oregon .......................................................................................................................................

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

sad 01

-

All

childran

11.6

8.5

5.9

7.6

8.7

11.5

12.5

10.0

14.8

13.0

10.5

8.3

11.9

10.8

7.3

14.0

8.7

18.3

18.5

14.1

16.3

15.7

17.6

12.3

lmple data]

Rata

FJhite

11.9

8.3

5.9

7.7

8.6

11.6

12.6

9.9

14.3

13.1

10.3

7.7

13.8

10.9

8.0

15.2

9.2

19.4

19.2

11.1

16.2

15.1

17.8

12.3

Negro

9.5

11.1

6.1

6.9

10.6

12.5

17.2

22.3

13.0

15.0

21.4

7.8

9.7

4.8

9.4

7.0

16.4

16.7

22.6

1,238.5

1,223.3

10.3

221.4

Other

10.1

16.2

1.2

12.0

11.9

3.3

113.3

18.4

19.7

5.6

19.5

13.s3

14.5

15.1

7.7

15.8

18.0

24.4

10.2

11.3

1Le~ than 50 children.

Zpopulation less than 1,000-

51
Table 24. Median and quartile ages of husband and wife at time of decree and at marriage, by number of children under 18 years of age:

divorce-registration area, 197o

[Based on sample data]

Number of children under 18 years of age

Total ..............................................................................................)... .....

No children ........................... .. ........ .............. .. ...... ......................... .........................

1child .................................... .......... ........ ....................................... ........................

2 children

3 children IIj:j:lI:uI::InIlln jlJI;Huu:l:I:::;jlIl:jJ:IjnjnlIIJuIJHu:ujl:cl:clj:lnIjI:ll: nIl:llI:I:::nujljllIIEjlJll:lljjlj

4children ................................ ...................... ......................................................... .

5 children ............. ...................................................................................................

6 children or more ..................................................................... ..............................

Total ............................. .......... ................................................................

No children .............................................................................................................

1 child .....................................................................................................................

s2 children ................................................................. ...............................................

...... ..........................................................................................................

4~children children ................................................. ....................................................... ........

................................................................................................................

6 children or more ............ ........ ...............................................................................

Husband I Wife

26.7

~

26.3

24.4

27.5

30.5

32.2

33.5

35.6

33.1

~

34.8

28.9

32.4

35.0

36.4

37.6

39.2

20.7 I 23.5

22.0

20.0

19.9

19.9

19.7

20.0

20.1

25.8

22.7

22.5

22.4

22.4

22.5

22.6

Age at decree

42.8

48.7

38.2

39.6

40.6

41.0

42.2

43.4

24.2

23.7

22.4

25.4

27.6

29.7

30.7

32.3

Age at marriage

28.6

35.2

26.0

25.0

24.9

24.9

25.2

25.4

17.3

19.2

16.8

16.6

16.5

16.4

16.4

16.3

29.8

31.3

26.2

29.3

32.2

33.4

34.1

35.8

39.5

45.9

34.3

36.3

37.5

37.8

38.2

39.3

20.61 24.6

23.5

19.5

19.1

18.9

18.8

18.7

18.5

32.2

23.3

22.7

22.4

22.2

22.1

21.9

52
Table 26.. Percent distribution of divorc’k by number of children under 18 yea= of age, according to ege of husband and wife at time of decree and at merraige:

total 23 selected States, 1970

[The foffowing Statss sre included: Alaska, Cafifomia, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii,Idsho, fflinoi

New York, Oregon, Pennsylve.nia,Rhode Isfand,Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, 1

Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,

rginia,and WEconsin. Based on sample data]

II Number of children under 18 years of age

Total

None 1 2 3 4 5

6 or

more

Age at decree and age at marriage

AGE AT DECREE

Husband

Total .. ........... ... ................... ........... ... ... ..... ... ... ................... .. .... ...... ........ ... ................... ..

Under 20 years ............. ................ ...... ..... ... ... ........... ... ............. ......... ...... ...... ..... ... ... .....................

20-24 veam ................ ... ................ ... ... ..... ...... ..... ... ... .............. ... .............. ........... ...... ........ .............

Percent distribution

\

40.7

=

53.0

46.3

35.8

27.0

26.8

34.1

48.3

74.7

40.7

18.8

=

3.s

11.2

23.8

25.4

22.0

20.9

15.7

7.1

18.6

9.3

=

0.7

1.9

7.8

15.9

17.5

13.4

8.1

3.1

9.3

1.0

=

0.0

0.1

1.2

2.8

2.6

1.2

0.5

1.0

100.O

100.0

10Q.O

100.0

10Q.O

100.0

100.0

100.O

100.0

100.0

24.7

-

42.9

40.3

30.0

20.7

16.9

19.6

21.2

12.8

24.7

4.2

=

0.2

0.2

2.1

7.5

10.0

6.7

3.8

1.2

4.2

1.6

=

10.7

0.0

0.5

2.4

4.1

2.7

1.8

0.6

1.6

-

0.1

1.3

4.0

4.0

2.1

0.6

0.1

1.6

25-28 years ........ ..... ...... .. .... .. ........ ...... ........ ... ........... ...... ........ ... ..... ...... .... .. ........ ...... .....................

30-34 yeaB ........ ................ ... ........ ... ......... ..... ......................... ... ........ .. .... .... .... .............. ... .............

35-39 years .. ...... ...... .. ........ .. .................... ...... ........ .............. ...... .... .... .......... .... .... .... ......... .............

40-44 years ..... ........ ... ........ ........... .. ......... ... ........ ...... ........... ... ... ........ ... ... ................ ...... ... .............

50 yea;s and over ............... .. .... .. .. .............. .... ........ ... .............. ... ........ ... ... .... .......... ........... ... ..........

wife —

Totil .. ..... ... ..... ...... ........ ........ ...... ........ .............. ... .............. ... ........... .............. ... ... ..........

Under 20 years ............ ... ........... ... ..... ...... ... .............. ........... .................... ..... ... ... .............. ... ..........

20-24 years ............... ...... .... .......... .............. ........ .............. ... ...... ..... .............. ... ........ ....... .. .............

25-28 years .. ... ..... ... ... ........ ... ..... ... ... .. .. .... .............. ... ........... ................. ........... ........ ...... ... .............

30-34 years ........ ........... ................ ... ........ ... ........... ... ........ ... .... .. ........ ... .............. ........ ...... .............

35-39 years .. ................... ...... ........ ........ .... .. ........... ... ...... ..... ... ... ..... ... ... ... ........... ...... ........ .............

4(344 years .. ... ........ ... ..... ... ... ........ ........ ... ... ...... ..... ... .... .... ... ... ... ..... ... ... ... ..... ...... ...... .....................

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

10Q.O

100.0

100.0

10Q.O

100.0

-

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

lrxlo

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

54.2

42.4

30.3

24.6

27.3

40.8

61.3

66.8

40.7

40.5

37.5

24.3

17.8

17.3

20.7

19.1

9.1

24.7

5.0

15.8

27.0

23.0

21.9

19.4

12.4

3.0

18.6

0.3

3.6

12.3

17.8

17.1

10.4

4.7

0.7

9.3

0.0

0.6

4.3

10.4

9.2

5.1

1.3

0.3

4.2

0.0

0.0

0.4

2.6

3.3

1.5

0.8

0.0

1.0

50 years and owr .......... ........... ........... ..... ... ... ........... ........... ... ... ........ ...... ..... ...... ................. ..........

AGE AT MARRIAGE

‘Husband

Towl .. ... ........ ... ... ..... ... ........ .............. ........ ... ... ........ ... ... ........... ..... ...... ...... ..... ... ... ..........

Under 20 vears ..... ... ........ ... ..... ... ........ ........ ...... ........ .... .. ........ .. .... .. ... ... ... ........ ... ... ... ......... .. .......... 22.5

33.9

43.7

53.8

66.8

75.8

85.7

84.7

40.7

31.6

26.5

24.2

20.7

16.6

13.7

8.2

3.2

24.7

24.6

21.1

17.5

13.5

9.1

5.6

3.9

1.1

18.6

12.2

11.0

8.2

6.6

4.9

3.2

1.3

0.6

9.3

5.8

4.7

4.0

3.1

1.5

1.1

0.6

0.2

4.2

2.1

1.8

1.5

1.3

0.6

0.3

0.2

0.2

1.6

1.2

1.1

:::

0.6

0.3

0.0

0.0

1.0

25-29 years ..... ........ ... ........ ....... .... ... ... ........... ......................... ... ........ ........... ...... ...... ..... ... .............

30-34 years ........ ... ........ ... ... ..... ...... ........ ... ........ ........... ... ....... ... ............... ..... ... ... ...... .....................

35-39 yaars .............. ... ........ ... ..... ... ........... ........ ... ................... ............ .......... ...... ...... .....................

4044 yearn ........ ........... ........... ........... ...................... .............. ...... ..... ...... ........... ...... ........ .............

4649 years .. ... ..... ... ... ... .. ...... ........ ...... .......... ............ ... ........... ... ........ ... ........ ... .............. ... .............

50 years and over .......... ........... .............. ... ........ ... ........ ... ........ ... ........ ................. ........... ...... ..........

Wife —

Totel .. ........ ... ..... ........... ........... ...... ........ ... ............................ ........ ................. ...... ..... .....

Under 20 years ....l ........................... ... ..... ...... ........... ..... ... ... ... ...................... ... ... ..... .... .. ................

20-24 years .. ........ ... ... ..... ... ........ ... ... ........ ........ ... ... ... ..... .... .. ........ ................. ... ... ..... ...... ................

25-28 years .......... ........ ... ...... .. ... ........... ........ ...... ...... .... .... ... ........... ... ..... ...... ........... .. .... ................

30-34 years .. ........ ........ ... ........... ... ..... ... ... ..... ... ... ...... ..... ...... ..... ... ........... ...... ...... ........ .. .................

35-39 years .. ........ ...... ... ..................... ... .... ........................ ... ........ ... .............. .............. ... ................

40-?4 years .. ..... ... ................ . ............ ........... ...... ........... ...... ........ ... .............. ... ........ ... ... ................

10G.O

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

25.5

41.1

51.7

65.0

81.0

90.7

97.2

99.1

29.2

25.0

22.8

19.1

11.7

6.2

2.4

0.5

—

23.7

18.8

13.5

9.8

4.9

2.1

0.1

0.2

—

12.3

9.2

7.0

3.7

1.6

0.7

0.2

0.2

5.7

3.8

3.2

1.2

0.5

0.2

0.0

.

2.2

1.4

1.0

0.7

0.1

0.0

0.0

0.0

1.4

0.8

0.8

0.5

0.1

0.0

!3 years and over ............ ........ ...................... ...... .......... .... ........ ...... ........ ...... ............ .....................

53
Table 26. Number of children under 18 years of age involved indivorce, average numkrof children perdacme, andaverage numberof

children per dacree for couplas with childran, by age Of husband and wife at time Of decrae and at marriage: total 23 selected

States, 1970

[The following States are included: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland,

Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, Pennsytiania, Rhode Islmd, Tennewee, Utah, Vermont, Virgtiia, and Wisconsin.

Baaed on sample data 1

Age of husband and wife

Under 20 years...................................................................................................................

20-24 years ........................................................................................................................

25-28 years ...............................................................................................e........................

30-34 yaars ........................................................................................................................

35-39 years ........................................................................................................................

40-44 years ........................................................................................................................

4549 years ........................................................................................................................

50 years and over ...............................................................................................................

Under 20 years...................................................................................................................

20-24 Vears ........................................................................................................................

25-29 years ........................................................................................................................

30-34 years ........................................................................................................................

35-39 years ........................................................................................................................

4044 years ......................................................... ........... ....................................................

4549 years ........................................................................................................................

50 years and over ...............................................................................................................

Undar 20 years...................................................................................................................

20.24years ........................................................................................................................

25-29 Vears ................ .......................................................................................................

30-34 years ........................................................................................................................

35-39 years ........................................................................................................................

40-44 years ........................................................................................................................

45-49 Vears ........................................................................................................................

50 years and over ...............................................................................................................

At decree At marriage

Husband Wife

‘US+E

Number of children

413,300

1,500

38,800

87,000

93,100

84,100

58,300

30,800

19,700

413,300

7,300

70,500

104,300

95,500

72,100

42,100

16,400

5,100

413#30Ci

103,2001

204,100

64,000

24,100

9,900

4.700

I ,70al

1,0001

1.20

Average number per deuree

0.51

0.69

1.12

1.68

1.92

1.59

1.08

0.47

1.20

0.51

0.82

1.41

1.94

1.90

1.31

0.70

0.19

413,300

244,200

122,200

30,800

10,300

3,600

1,100

200

100

T

1.201 1.20

1.58 1.56

1.36’ 1.17

1.13 0.93

0.92 0.61

0.62 0.29

0.42 0.13

0.23 0.03

0.08 0.01

Average number per decree with children

2.03 2.03 2.03

I

2.03

1.10 1.12 2.04 2.10

1.29 1.43 2.06 1.99

1.74 2.03 2.01 1.84

2.31 2.$8 2.00 1.75

2.62 2.62 1.87 1.56

2.41 2.22 1.74 1.46

2.10 1.81 1.64 1.30

1.86 1.45 1.68 1.71

54
APPENDIX

CONTENTS

Technical Notes .......................................................................................................................................

I.

IL

III.

LIST OF APPENDIX TABLES

DNorce sample-sampling rate, sample size, estimated number of even@, and smallest significant

number: divorce-registration area and each registration State, 1970 ...........................................

Sampling errors of estimated percentages: divorce-re@ration area and. each registration State,

1970..................................................................... ................................................ .....................

Percent completeness of reporting demographic characteristics: d@orce-registration area and

each registration State, 1970 ......................................................................................................

57

58

59

,60

55
APPENDIX

TECHNICAL NOTES

The term “divorce,” as used in this report,

includes absolute divorces, annulments, and decrees of marriage dissolution, that recently

replaced divorces in several States. Various types

of limited divorce (divorces from bed and board

or a mensa et thoro, legal separations, separate

maintenance, etc.) are excluded.

Data are based on national divorce statistics

published annually in the Vital Statistics of the

United States, provisional estimates published in

the Monthly Vital Statistics Report, foreign

divorce rates published in the Demographic

Yearbook of the United Nations, as well as on

unpublished materials tabulated in the National

Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

State and county totals (the latter used

mostly to prepare data by standard metropolitan

statistical areas) were received from the vital

statistics offices of all States and the District of

Columbia. Information other than totals was

tabulated in the NCHS from samples of divorce

certificates selected from microfilms of all certificates provided annually by States participating

in the divorce-registration area (DIL%). In 1970,

28 States were included in the DRA and South

Cm-olina was added in 1971. The 1970 list of

participating States, the sampling rates, numbers

of sample records, and estimated numbers of

events are shown in table I. The sampling rate

for individual States was designed originally to

obtain samples containing at least 1,000 certificates. Four sampling rates were used: all records,

one-half, one-fifth, and one-tenth. As numbers

of divorces have increased considerably in recent

years, the size of the sample was often much

larger than 1,000.

All detaded tables, except tables 1 through

7, and all text tables, except tables A, B, and C,

present divorce data based on a sample. The

sampling error of estimated percents is given in

table II. Data from States with all records

tabulated are not subject to sampling variability

and have no sampling error. k estimates prepared from the samples, small frequencies have a

very high sampling error and a “smallest useful

number” for each State is shown in table I. Still

smalIer values should be interpreted simply as

“small” numbers rather than as any precise

value. Percentages and rates based on “small”

numbers are footnoted.

Percentages and medians were computed

excluding cases with information not stated. In

order to compute numbers of children involved

in divorce, total numbers of marriages of divorced persons, and numerators for specific

divorce rates, cases with information not stated

were distributed proportionally. Denominators

for the specific State rates were taken or

prepared from data of the 1970 Census of

Population, while denominators for the DRA, .’

for the total of reporting States, and for groups

of States were obtained by addition.

Divorce rates for 1970 by age at decree and

divorce rates by race are based on population

data from table 152 of the State volumes,

United States Census of Population, 1970,

“Detailed Characteristics.”G Population bases

for divorce rates by marriage order were estimated from the same table, on the assumption

that the distribution of the total married population by marriage order was identical with that of

the married population, spouse present; for the

DRA the latter represented 94.6 percent of all

married men and 92.0 percent of all married

women.

For national rates by duration of marriage,

both numerators and denominators were estiNOTE: A list of references follows the text.

57
Table 1. Divorce sample–sampling rata, sample size, estimated number of events, and smallest significant number: divorce-registration

area and each registration State, 1970

Area and stratum

Divorce-registration araa ................................................................................

Stratum 1................. ............................................................................................

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

Hawaii ............................... .............................................................................................

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

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

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

Vermont .........................................................................................................................

Wyoming ........................................................................................................................

Stratum 1I ............................................................................................................

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

Idaho ..............................................................................................................................

Iowa ................................................... ............................................................................

Kansas ............................................................................................................................

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

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

Wisconsin .......................................................................................................................

Stratum III ..........................................................................................................

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

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

Maryland ........................................................................................................................

Missouri ..........................................................................................................................

Oragon ...........................................................................................................................

Tennesxe .......................................................................................................................

Virginia ..........................................................................................................................

Stratum IV ..........................................................................................................

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

California .......................................................................................................................

Illinois ............................... .............................................................................................

Michigan ............................................................. ............................................................

New York .......................................................................................................................

Ohio ......................................................... ......................................................................

Pennsylvania ...................................................................................................................

Sampl ing

rate

. . .

Ail records

All records

All records

All records

All records

All records

All records

All records

1/2

1/2

1/2

1/2

1/2

1/2

1/2

1/2

1/5

1/5

1/5

115

1/5

1/5

1/5

115

1/10

1/10

1/10

1/10

1/10

1/10

1/10

1/10

N umbar of

sample

records

80,630

13,224

1,694

2,585

3,080

1,693

1,358

1,027

1,807

20,407

2,910

1,776

3,539

4,340

1,848

1,814

4,180

18,906

3,728

2,138

1,845

3,569

1,914

3,310

2,402

28,093

1,507

11,112

3,844

2,994

2,640

3,937

2,259

Estimated

numbar of

events

429,498

13,224

1,694

2,585

3,060

1,693

1,358

1,027

1,807

40,814

5,820

3,562

7,078

8,680

3,686

3,628

8,360

84,630

18,640

10,690

9,225

17,845

9,670

16,550

12,010

280,930

15,070

111,120

36,440

29,940

26,400

39,370

22,690

.—.—

Smallest

signif icant

number

80

.—-—

. . .

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

. . .

-—

15

15

16

15

16

15

15

. . .

50

50

50

50

50

50

50

. . .

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

mated. The DRA percent distribution by dura- once (1.1 percent of the total) were estimated

tion of marriage was applied to the national

total to estimate the numerators. Denominators

were obtained from the 1970 census subject

report, “Marital Status,” PC(2)-4C, table 2,

where various marital status groups are shown

classified by years since first marriage. Data by

years since current marriage for women married

once and women married more than once,

spouse present and married once, were obtained

from selected columns of this table. Data for the

remainder of married women married more than

by applying to the total of the subgroup

percentages obtained for married women, married more than once, spouse present. T

Denominators of divorce rates by number of

children reported were obtained from tabdes 152

and 155 of United States Census of Population,

1970, “Detailed Characteristics.”6 Denominators

for all divorces were all married wome:n, aged

under 55, as few women, aged 55 years or more,

NOTE: A list of references follows the text.

68
Table 11. Sampling errors of estimated percentages: divorce-registration area and each registration State, 1970

[States with all records included in the sample have no sampling error]

Area

Divorce-registration area ......... .....................................................................................................

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

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

California ....................................................................................................................................................

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

Hawaii .........................................................................................................................................................

ldaho .................. ..................................................... ................................................ ....................................

lllinois .........................................................................................................................................................

lowa ................................................ ............................................................................................................

Kansas .........................................................................................................................................................

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

Mawland .....................................................................................................................................................

Michigan . ............................. ........................................................................................................................

Missouri.. ................................................................................................................................ .....................

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

New York ....................................................................................................................................................

Ohio .................. ....................................... ....................................................................... ............................

Pen;Wlvania ........................................................ ........................ ................................................................

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

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

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

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

Virginia .............................................. .................................................................................. .......................

Wisconsin ................................................................................................................................ ....................

Wyoming .....................................................................................................................................................

could be expected to have children under 18

years of age. Denominators for divorces with 1

child, 2 children, and 3 or more children were

obtained by adding up aIl families and subfamilies with married head and a given number of

own children; the small group of subfamilies

with 2 or more children was divided equally

between the categories of “2 children” and “3

or more children. ” The denominators for divorces with no children reported were prepared

by subtracting the sum of denominators for

categories reporting children from the denominator for all divorces.

The proportion of divorce certificates with

in~ormation not stated varied considerably

among the participating states. Michigan and

Estimated percent

m

Sampling error

0.03

~

0.24

. . .

0.08

0.13

0.14

. . .

0.16

0.15

0.11

0.10

0.19

0.20

0.17

0.15

. . .

0.16

0.18

0.14

0.19

0.19

. . .

. . .

0.15

0.16

. . .

0.18

0.11

. . .

0.12

=

0.73

. . .

0.27

0.39

0.43

O:i<

0.47

0.36

0.32

0.57

0.62

0.52

0.44

. . .

0.48

0.55

0.45

0.61

0.59

. . .

. . .

0.46

0.52

. . .

0.54

0.34

. . .

0.17

1.06

. . .

0.39

0.56

0.63

0:+3

0.68

0.52

0.47

0.83

0.89

0.75

0.65

. . .

0.70

0.79

0.65

0.88

0.86

. . .

. . .

0.67

0.77

. . .

0.78

0.50

. . .

0.20

=

1.22

. . .

0.45

0.65

0.73

. . .

0.84

0.78

0.60

0.54

0.96

1.04

0.86

0.75

. . .

0.83

0.92

0.75

1.02

1.00

. . .

. . .

0.77

,

0.88

. . .

0.90

0.5s

. . .

Ohio did not report race and Nebraska did not

report the number of this marriage. The percent

completeness of reporting five routinely collected items of information in the DRA and

each State is shown in table III. The completeness of several States, particularly Maryland and

Utah, improved considerably in 1970. Data for

States with a particularly low level of reporting a

given variable were not used in the analysis of

such a variable.

Further detailed information on the technical aspects of the 1970 divorce statistics can be

found in Vital Statistics of the United States,

1970, Volume III, “Marriage and Divorce,”

Section 4, “Technical Appendix.”

59
Table I I 1. Percent completeness of reporting demographic characteristics: divorce-registration area and each registration State, 1970

Area

Divorce-registration area ..................................................................

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

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

California ................................................ ........................................................

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

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

Hawaii .............................................................................................................

ldaho ................................................................................................... ............

Illinois .............................................................................................................

Iowa ................................................................................................................

Kansas .............................................................................................................

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

Maryland .........................................................................................................

Michigan ,. ........................................................................................................

Missouri ...........................................................................................................

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

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

New York ............................................................................................... .........

Oregon ................................................................ ............................................

Pennsylvania ....................................................................................................

Rhode lslend ....................... .......................................... ..................................

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

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

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

Vermont .............. ............................................................................................

Virginia ...................................... .....................................................................

Wisconsin ...................................................................................................... ..

Wyoming .........................................................................................................

, , m ,

Average

5

items

84.9

~

43.9

96.5

94.7

97.3

78.4

99.1

87.0

93.0

99.2

95.5

91.7

92.5

246.9

98.5

98.8

378.6

94.2

!57.5

89.6

88.4

90.1

57.2

98.2

92.3

97.9

99.2

99.6

45.5

Age

at

decreal

79.0

3.3

93.1

95.0

95.3

70.6

97.9

79.6

95.9

99.7

91.6

86.5

93.7

27.5

88.6

98.9

96.6

81.2

41.5

94.5

81.5

97.9

22.9

96.8

91.9

97.3

98.0

99.2

6.6

Racal

Number

of this

marriagel

Percent

75.7

~

28.4

97.2

97.0

98.4

76.3

99.7

82.5

87.6

99.6

94.3

90.5

95.1

(2)

98.0

99.7

88.9

97.6

(4)

82.8

82.7

80.7

42.4

99.3

87.1

98.3

100.0

99.9

15.9

1 FIX husbands; percentages for wives are verY SiMfiar.

2Race not reported in Michigan; for the 4 reported items the average iS S8.7.

3Number of this marriage not reported in Nebraska; for the 4 reported items the average is 98.2.

4Race not reported in Ohio; for the 4 reported items the average iS 77.4.

76.1

3.6

95.2

90.3

98.1

70.3

99.3

79.0

87.0

99.0

93.7

86.6

92.0

8.2

99.4

98.4

43)

95.1

47.5

79.9

81.4

77.8

21.3

98.4

88.2

98.4

99.5

99.7

7.1

Duration

of

marriaga at

decree

—.

98.:2

99.1

99.’1

97.!5

99.0

87.”7

99.8

96.4

98.13

gg.!j

99.1

97.’1

99.4

99.6

99.:3

99.2

99.8

98>9

99.!5

99.!5

99.4

99. I

99.[;

98.4

98.:2

99.<1

98.{3

99.4

99.4

Childran

under

18

years

of aga

95.5

85.1

97.7

93.5

95.9

67.3

99.0

97.6

95.6

98.2

98.9

97.6

82.4

99.4

99.2

97.8

99.5

98.0

99.2

91.1

96.8

94.9

100.0

97.9

96.3

96.2

99.4

99.7

98.4

000

60 W.’S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1980 311-240/10 1-3
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