1 post tagged “divorce rate”
Apparently, the divorce rate of college-educated women in America went from 29% in 1989 down to 16.5% in 2004. Without over-interpreting this one data point, it should be obvious that the widely-held belief in astronomical divorce rates is faulty. I keep hearing that almost half American marriages end up in divorce, but this is evidently not true for the population segment I tend to circulate in. There is still hope for happily ever after, it seems.
Sadly, the family breakdown rages ever more fiercely among the poor, forming a vicious circle and keeping people down. Some see this as a major contributor to the widening wealth gap. I'm happy the country is liberal enough not to stigmatize single parents, but how can it continue to thrive once its people realize that the American Dream is unreachable to the majority of them?
Another surprise is that the divorce rate is higher among couples who live together before marriage. This seems very counter-intuitive. Living together is the only way to really get to know the other person and experience first hand what marrying them would be like. I would think it's an essential eye-opener before making a life-long commitment, a dress-rehearsal for the most important show in your life. And yet, statistics suggest you're more likely to succeed without it.
