Feature Article
Trends in Marriage Rates in Missouri
Robert Hughes, Jr., Ph.D., Former Professor, Department of Human Development & Family Studies, College of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia
The pattern of marriage changes over time. Here are some
brief answers to some common questions about trends in
the rate and pattern of marriages in Missouri.
What is the trend in the marriage rate in Missouri?
Over the past 53 years (1950-2003) the marriage rate in
Missouri has been quite stable. In 1950 the marriage
rate was 8.7 marriages for every 1,000 Missourians. This
climbed slowly for the next three decades reaching the
highest rate in 1980 when there were 11.1 marriages for
every 1,000 Missourians. The baby boom generation that
entered young adulthood in the 1960s and 1970s probably
accounts for the rise in the number of marriages during
this period. Since 1980, the marriage rate has declined
at slow pace to one of the lowest levels in the past 53
years. In 2003 there were 41,295 marriages in Missouri,
which results in a rate of 7.2 marriages for every 1,000
Missourians. The marriage rate in Missouri is quite
similar to the marriage rate across the United States.
What is the trend in the divorce rate in Missouri?
The number of divorces rose steadily between 1967 and
1979, but since 1981 the number of divorces has been
declining. In 1950 there were 3.1 divorces for every
1,000 Missourians. Between 1950 and 1967 the divorce
rate stayed about the same, and then began to rise in
1968. The peak rate was in 1979 and 1981 when the
divorce rate reached a rate of 5.7 divorces for every
1,000 Missourians. This is roughly double the rate in
the 1950s. Since the early 1980s the divorce has leveled
off and slowly declined. In 2003 there were 3.9 divorces
for every 1,000 Missourians, for a total of 22,166
divorces in 2003.
What is the average age of first marriages in Missouri?
For several decades the average age for first marriages
has been rising in the United States. This trend is
similar in Missouri. In 2003, the median age of first
marriages was 24.0 years of age for women and 25.8 years
of age for men.
What is the length of marriage before divorce in Missouri?
In 2003, there were 22,166 divorces in Missouri. Of
those couples divorcing the median length of their
marriages was about 8 years. In 2003, 23% of divorces
occurred among couples who had been married 3 years or
less, 33% of divorces occurred among couples who had
been married between 4 and 9 years. Twenty-five percent
of the Missouri divorces in 2003 were granted to couples
who had been married between 10 and 19 years. Fourteen
percent of divorces occurred among couples who had been
together over 20 years.
What percentage of marriages are remarriages in Missouri?
About 34% of women and 35% of men who were married in
2000 in Missouri had been previously married and
divorced. Another 3% were widowed. About 27% of the
marriages in 2003 in Missouri were a remarriage for both
partners.
References:
Kreider, R. M. (2005). Number, Timing, and Duration of
Marriages and Divorces: 2001, Table 6. Current
Population Reports, P70-97. Washington, D. C.: U.S.
Census Bureau.
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. 2003. Missouri Vital Statistics 2003, Graphs F, G, Tables 30, 32, 38. Available at: http://www.dhss.mo.gov/VitalStatistics.
Last Updated 05/06/2008
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