What Is the U.S. Divorce Rate in 2026?

The latest federal data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts the U.S. divorce rate at 2.4 divorces per 1,000 people, based on 2023 data. Divorce has also become less common over the past several decades, despite how often we still hear that half of all marriages end in divorce.

At Burch & Stewart, we help people through divorce every day, so we know there’s a real story behind these numbers. Let’s look at how divorce rates have changed nationwide and what the latest data shows here in Tennessee.

The Latest U.S. Divorce Statistics

According to the CDC’s provisional 2023 data, there were 672,502 divorces across 45 reporting states and Washington, D.C. That works out to 2.4 divorces for every 1,000 people.

For comparison, the U.S. recorded just over 2 million marriages that year, with a marriage rate of 6.1 per 1,000 people. Both are crude rates, meaning they’re measured against the total population rather than only people who are married.

Divorce statistics take time to collect and publish, which is why the latest available data trails behind 2026.

Divorce Is Less Common Than It Used to Be

Divorce has become less common over the past several decades. Data from Bowling Green State University’s National Center for Family & Marriage Research shows the refined divorce rate fell from about 19 divorces per 1,000 married women in 1990 to 13.7 in 2023.

Changes in marriage itself help provide context for that decline.

Americans are getting married later. U.S. Census Bureau data puts the median age at first marriage in 2024 at 30.8 for men and 28.8 for women.
Fewer Americans are marrying than in previous decades. The U.S. marriage rate has declined substantially from its levels in the 1980s and 1990s.
The decline in divorce has been concentrated among younger adults. Bowling Green State University research shows divorce rates have risen among adults 45 and older since 1990, with the rate among adults 65 and older roughly tripling over that period.

Tennessee Divorce Rates

Tennessee’s divorce rate is higher than the U.S. rate. In 2023, it was 2.9 per 1,000 residents, versus 2.4 nationwide.

CDC data also shows how Tennessee’s rate has changed over time.

2000: 5.9 per 1,000
2010: 4.2 per 1,000
2020: 3.2 per 1,000
2023: 2.9 per 1,000

Tennessee remains above the national rate, but divorces are less common than they were two decades ago.

What the Latest Divorce Numbers Show

Divorce rates have clearly declined over time, but that decline is part of a broader change in how Americans form relationships. People are marrying later, and marriage itself is less common than it was in previous decades. Looking at divorce rates alone only gives us part of that picture.

If your interest in divorce rates connects to questions about your own marriage, Burch & Stewart is available to discuss the divorce process in Tennessee. Call 803-779-3363 to schedule a free consultation with our Manchester divorce attorneys.