Remarriage Rates on the Rise Across the Country

Studies from the Pew Research Center have shown that remarriage has been steadily rising for a number of years, which means people after divorce are getting married again at record rates. According to one 2014 study, approximately 40 percent of marriages involve at least one spouse who has been married before, while in 20 percent of marriages, both spouses had been previously married.

The data for the study came from the 2013 American Community Survey, along with prior census data that contained marriage information. As of 2014, approximately 42 million adults in the United States were remarried — double the amount of 1980 and triple the amount seen in 1960.

Looking at demographics

Through the survey, researchers revealed there are certain demographics that are more or less likely to get remarried than others.

For example, age made a big difference in a person’s desire to remarry. People who are divorced in their 20s or 30s are, perhaps unsurprisingly, significantly more likely to remarry than people who are divorced in their 50s or 60s. However, even older people (65 and up) are remarrying at much higher rates than they had in the past. In 1960, only 34 percent of people who were 65 and older had remarried, versus 50 percent in 2013. Researchers speculated this could be due to longer life expectancies today.

Meanwhile, 75 percent of people between 25 and 34 who were eligible to remarry in 1960 had done so — versus only 43 percent in 2013. So, while young people are more likely to remarry if divorced while young, they are also likely to take their time in doing so, at least compared to previous generations.

Divorce is common in today’s society. If you’re considering the dissolution of your marriage, consult a skilled divorce attorney with Bryan L. Salamone & Associates.