The sun., 1908-11-27
DIVORCES ON The INCREASE
MORE THAN TWICE AS COMMON
AS FORTY YEARS AGO.
wives Get TwO-thirds OF Them Census
Bureau Reports -Desertion the
Ground in Nearly One-Haif tho Cases
Intemperance an Important Factor.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.-The Bureau
of the Census has just completed COM
pilation Of the statistics Of marriage and
divorce covering period Of twenty years
from 1887 to 1900. inclusive. This Is the
second statistical investigation Of this
character authorized by the Federal
Government
The total number Of marriages recorded
during the twenty years from 1887 to
1905. inclusive. was l2,s32 ,0A. The num-
Der annually reported increased from
4s3 600 in the year 1887 TO s53,2oo in the
year 1905. The increase year by year
was by no means uniform. The mar
riage rate is quickly responsive to changes
In economic conditions.
The marriage rate in the United States
in the year 1900 was e3 per 10000 popu-
lation. Based upon the adult unmarried
(single. widowed or divorced) popula-
ton, the rate becomes 321 per 10000
indicating that in each year something
over per cent. Of the unmarried adult
population marry. The marriage rate.
based on the total population, is higher
In the United States than in any other
country for which reliable statistics are
available.
INCREASE OF DIVORCES.
The total number OF divorces reported
for the twenty years, 1887 to 1905. inclusive,
was 945,o25. For the earlier investigation.
covering the twenty years. 1897 to 1888.
inclusive. the number reported was s2s, 7lo.
or hardly more than one third Of the num-
Der recorded in the second twenty years.
At the beginning Of the forty year period.
covered by the two Investigations. divorces
occurred at the rate Of 10000 q year; at
the end Of that period the annual number
was about ee,0O0. This increase how
ever, must be considered In connection
with increase in population.
An increase OF 80 per cent. in population
between the years 1870 to 1886 was accom-
panied by an increase Of 70 per cent'in the
decade, 1880 to 1890. the population in
creased rs per cent. and divorces 10 per
cent, and In the following decade. 1890
TO 1900, an increase OF 81 per cent In
population was accompanied by an In
crease Of 90 per cent. In the number of
divorces. In the six years. from 1900 to
1905. population. as estimated, increased
los per cent and divorces 2s.s per cent.
1t thus appears that at the end Of the
forty-year period divorces were inoreasing
about three times as fast as population,
while in the first decade Qs7O to 1880 they
increased only about two and two-thirds
as fast.
The divorce rate per 100 900 population
increased from 20 in 1870 to 50 in 1905. |
In the former year there was one divorce |
for every 3,441 persons and in the latter |
year one for every 1.21s Since II is only |
married people who can become di- |
vorced, more significant divorce rate |
is that which is based, not upon total |
population. but upon the total married |
population. The rate per 100 900 married |
population was 81 in the year 1870 and 200 I
in the year 1900. This comparison indi-
Gates that divorce is at present two and
one-half times as common, compared
with married population, as it was forty
years ago.
Divorce rates appear to be much higher
in the United States than in any of the
foreign countries for which statistics
relating TO this subject have been OBJ
tanned.
DIVORCE STATISTICS BY STATES.
The number OF divorces reported for
each State in each twenty year period
and the divorce rate in 1880 and 1900,
based on five year average. were as
follows:
4