The graph displays the divorce rate per 1,000 people in the United States from 2000 to 2023. The x-axis represents the years, labeled from '00 to '23, while the y-axis indicates the divorce rate per 1,000 individuals. The divorce rate starts at 4.0 per 1,000 in 2000 and 2001, which are the highest values in the dataset. Over the years, there is a general downward trend, with the rate decreasing to 2.3 per 1,000 in 2020, the lowest point recorded. In 2021 and 2023, the rate slightly fluctuates, rising to 2.5 and then decreasing to 2.4 per 1,000 respectively. The data highlights a consistent decline in the divorce rate over the 22-year period.

In 2022, the divorce rate in the United States stood at *** per 1,000 of the population. Divorce in the U.S. Divorce is the termination of a marital union. In the United States, as in most other countries, it is a legal process in which a judge or another legal authority dissolves the bonds of matrimony existing between two persons. The process of divorce also normally involves issues surrounding distribution of property, financial support of the former spouse, child custody and child support. A divorce also allows a person to marry again.In the United States, divorce is, like marriage, a matter for state governments, not the federal government. Although divorce laws vary from state to state, for example on which terms a divorce can be arranged, a divorce must be certified by a court of law to become effective. A declining divorce rate Over the last couple of years, both the marriage rate and the divorce rate have been declining in the United States. As of 2009, the average length of a first marriage in the U.S. was ***** years, while the average length of a second marriage was about ** years.

The National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) data for the United States are provided through contracts between National Center for Health Statistics and vital registration systems operated in the various jurisdictions legally responsible for the registration of vital events (births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and fetal deaths).

Abstract

Marriage data: In South Africa Civil Marriages are administered through the Marriage Act, 1961 (Act No. 25 of 1961) as amended, and its associated regulations. Customary marriages are governed by the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, 1998 (Act No. 120 of 1998) which came into effect on 15 November 2000. Civil unions (relationships between same-sex couples that are legally recognized by a state authority) are covered by the Civil Union Act, 2006 (Act No. 17 of 2006) which came into operation on 30 November 2006.

The South African Department of Home Affairs is responsible for the administration of marriages in South Africa, under these laws. After the ceremony of a marriage or a civil union, the marriage officer submits the data to the nearest office of the Department of Home Affairs (DHS), where the marriage / civil union details for citizens and permanent residents are recorded in the National Population Register (NPR). Statistics South Africa obtains data on marriages and civil unions from DHA through the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) for this dataset.

NOTE: In customary marriages, the two spouses and their witnesses present themselves at a DHA office in order to register a customary marriage. Therefore the province of registration is not necessarily the province of the place of usual residence of the couple since the registration of the marriage can take place in any DHA office.

Divorce data: The dissolution of registered marriages and civil unions is governed by the Divorce Act, 1979 as amended, and its associated regulations (Act No.70 of 1979) and the Jurisdiction of Regional Courts Amendment Act, 2008 (Act No. 32 of 2008) as amended which came into effect on 9 August 2010. The South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DJCD) is responsible for managing divorces under these Acts. Statistics South Africa obtains the divorce data from the DJCD for this dataset.

NOTE: The data includes only divorces from civil marriages and only those granted in 2009.

Geographic coverage

The data has national coverage.

Analysis unit

Individuals

Universe

The data covers all civil marriages that were recoreded by the Department of Home Affairs and all divorce applications that were granted by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in 2009 in South Africa.

Kind of data

Administrative records

Mode of data collection

Other

Data appraisal

Geography is problematic in this dataset as not all the data files have geographic data. The Civil Marriages and Civil Unions data files include a Province of Registration variable but the Customary Marriages data file does not. There is also no geographical data in the Divorces file. As this data file includes divorce data from only a subset of divorce courts, this lack of geographical information compromises its usability.

Abstract

Marriages data Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) publishes marriage data on citizens and permanent residents that are collected through the national civil registration systems. The data in this dataset is based only on registered marriages and divorces that are stipulated and governed by the country’s legal frameworks. The management of registered marriages is the responsibility of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). Two main legislations cover the registration of civil marriages and customary marriages. Civil marriages are administered through the Marriage Act, 1961 (Act No. 25 of 1961) as amended, and its associated regulations. Customary marriages are governed by the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, 1998 (Act No. 120 of 1998) that came into effect on 15 November 2000. An additional legislation is the registration of civil unions - relationships between same-sex couples that are legally recognized by a state authority. These unions are covered by the Civil Union Act, 2006 (Act No. 17 of 2006) that came into operation on 30 November 2006. After the solemnisation ceremony of a marriage or a civil union, the marriage officer submits the marriage /civil union register to the nearest office of the DHA, where the marriage / civil union details are recorded in the National Population Register (NPR). With respect to customary marriages, the two spouses and their witnesses present themselves at a DHA office in order to register a customary marriage. Hence the province of registration is not necessarily the province of the place of usual residence of the couple since the registration of the marriage can take place in any DHA office. Statistics South Africa obtains data on marriages and civil unions in digital format from DHA through the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) and the Marriages and Divorces 2010 dataset is compiled from this data.

Divorces data The dissolution of registered marriages and civil unions falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD). This responsibility of the department is mandated through the Divorce Act, 1979 as amended, and its associated regulations (Act No.70 of 1979) and the Jurisdiction of Regional Courts Amendment Act, 2008 (Act No. 31 of 2008) as amended which came into effect on 9 August 2010.

The divorces data file only provides 2010 data on divorces from civil marriages. It is limited in its usability by this and by the fact that the data is on divorces that were granted in 2010 by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development at 12 of the 62 divorce courts mandated to deal with divorce cases in South Africa. The lack of geographical data in the dataset also compromises its usability.

Geographic coverage

The Marriages and Divorces 2010 has national coverage.

Analysis unit

The units of anaylsis for the Marriages and Divorces 2010 are individuals.

Kind of data

Administrative records data [adm]

Mode of data collection

Other [oth]

Abstract

Marriage data: In South Africa Civil Marriages are administered through the Marriage Act, 1961 (Act No. 25 of 1961) as amended, and its associated regulations. Customary marriages are governed by the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, 1998 (Act No. 120 of 1998) which came into effect on 15 November 2000. Civil unions (relationships between same-sex couples that are legally recognized by a state authority) are covered by the Civil Union Act, 2006 (Act No. 17 of 2006) which came into operation on 30 November 2006.

The South African Department of Home Affairs is responsible for the administration of marriages in South Africa, under these laws. After the ceremony of a marriage or a civil union, the marriage officer submits the data to the nearest office of the Department of Home Affairs (DHS), where the marriage / civil union details for citizens and permanent residents are recorded in the National Population Register (NPR). Statistics South Africa obtains data on marriages and civil unions from DHA through the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) for this dataset.

NOTE: In customary marriages, the two spouses and their witnesses present themselves at a DHA office in order to register a customary marriage. Therefore the province of registration is not necessarily the province of the place of usual residence of the couple since the registration of the marriage can take place in any DHA office.

Divorce data: The dissolution of registered marriages and civil unions is governed by the Divorce Act, 1979 as amended, and its associated regulations (Act No.70 of 1979) and the Jurisdiction of Regional Courts Amendment Act, 2008 (Act No. 32 of 2008) as amended which came into effect on 9 August 2010. The South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DJCD) is responsible for managing divorces under these Acts. Statistics South Africa obtains the divorce data from the DJCD for this dataset.

NOTE: The data includes only divorces from civil marriages and those granted in 2011 at only 12 of the 62 divorce courts mandated to deal with divorce cases in South Africa.

Geographic coverage

The data has national coverage.

Analysis unit

Individuals

Universe

The data covers all civil marriages that were recoreded by the Department of Home Affairs and all divorce applications that were granted by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in 2011 in South Africa.

Kind of data

Administrative records

Mode of data collection

Other

Data appraisal

Geography is problematic in this dataset as not all the data files have geographic data. The Civil Marriages and Civil Unions data files include a Province of Registration variable but the Customary Marriages data file does not. There is also no geographical data in the Divorces file. As this data file includes divorce data from only a subset of divorce courts, this lack of geographical information compromises its usability.

The divorces data file only provides data on divorces from civil marriages. It is limited in its usability by this and by the fact that the data is on divorces that were granted in 2011 by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development at only 12 of the 62 divorce courts mandated to deal with divorce cases in South Africa. The lack of geographical data in the dataset further compromises its usability.

Abstract

Marriage data: In South Africa Civil Marriages are administered through the Marriage Act, 1961 (Act No. 25 of 1961) as amended, and its associated regulations. Customary marriages are governed by the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, 1998 (Act No. 120 of 1998) which came into effect on 15 November 2000. Civil unions (relationships between same-sex couples that are legally recognized by a state authority) are covered by the Civil Union Act, 2006 (Act No. 17 of 2006) which came into operation on 30 November 2006.

The South African Department of Home Affairs is responsible for the administration of marriages in South Africa, under these laws. After the ceremony of a marriage or a civil union, the marriage officer submits the data to the nearest office of the Department of Home Affairs (DHS), where the marriage / civil union details for citizens and permanent residents are recorded in the National Population Register (NPR). Statistics South Africa obtains data on marriages and civil unions from DHA through the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) for this dataset.

NOTE: In customary marriages, the two spouses and their witnesses present themselves at a DHA office in order to register a customary marriage. Therefore the province of registration is not necessarily the province of the place of usual residence of the couple since the registration of the marriage can take place in any DHA office.

Divorce data: The dissolution of registered marriages and civil unions is governed by the Divorce Act, 1979 as amended, and its associated regulations (Act No.70 of 1979) and the Jurisdiction of Regional Courts Amendment Act, 2008 (Act No. 32 of 2008) as amended which came into effect on 9 August 2010. The South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DJCD) is responsible for managing divorces under these Acts. Statistics South Africa obtains the divorce data from the DJCD for this dataset.

NOTE: The data includes divorce applications that were concluded in 2017, that is, that were finalised and issued with decrees of divorce in 2017 by DJCD.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

Individuals

Universe

The data covers all civil marriages that were recorded by the Department of Home Affairs and all divorce applications that were granted by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in 2017 in South Africa.

Kind of data

Administrative records data [adm]

Mode of data collection

Other [oth]

Data appraisal

Geography is problematic in this dataset as not all the data files have geographic data. The Civil Marriages and Civil Unions data files include a Province of Registration variable, but the Customary Marriages data file does not. There is also no geographical data in the Divorces file. As this data file includes divorce data from only a subset of divorce courts, this lack of geographical information compromises its usability.