U.S. Marriage and Divorce Rate:
| Year | US Population | Marriage Rate per 1,000 population* | Divorce Rate per 1,000 population* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 306,803,000 | 6.8 | 3.5 |
| 2008 | 304,483,000 | 7.1 | 3.5 |
| 2007 | 302,226,000 | 7.3 | 3.6 |
| 2006 | 299,398,484 | 7.4 | 3.7 |
| 2005 | 296,497,000 | 7.6 | 3.6 |
| 2004 | 293,623,000 | 7.8 | 3.7 |
| 2003 | 291,384,000 | 7.7 | 3.8 |
| 2002 | 288,369,000 | 7.9 | 3.9 |
| 2001 | 285,318,000 | 8.2 | 4.0 |
| 2000 | 281,422,000 | 8.2 | 4.0 |
Source: CDC/NCHS National Vital Statistics System. *Excludes some states.
World Divorce Statistics
Percentage of New Marriages which End in Divorce, in Selected Countries (2002)
| Country | Divorces as a Percentage of Marriages |
| Sweden | 54.9 |
| Belarus | 52.9 |
| Finland | 51.2 |
| Luxembourg | 47.4 |
| Estonia | 46.7 |
| Australia | 46 |
| United States | 45.8 |
| Denmark | 44.5 |
| Belgium | 44 |
| Austria | 43.4 |
| Czech Republic | 43.3 |
| Russia | 43.3 |
| United Kingdom | 42.6 |
| Norway | 40.4 |
| Ukraine | 40 |
| Iceland | 39.5 |
| Germany | 39.4 |
| Lithuania | 38.9 |
| France | 38.3 |
| Netherlands | 38.3 |
| Hungary | 37.5 |
| Canada | 37 |
| Latvia | 34.4 |
| Moldova | 28.1 |
| Slovakia | 26.9 |
| Portugal | 26.2 |
| Switzerland | 25.5 |
| Bulgaria | 21.1 |
| Slovenia | 20.7 |
| Romania | 19.1 |
| Poland | 17.2 |
| Singapore | 17.2 |
| Greece | 15.7 |
| Croatia | 15.5 |
| Spain | 15.2 |
| Israel | 14.8 |
| Albania | 10.9 |
| Azerbaijan | 10.3 |
| Italy | 10 |
| Georgia | 6.6 |
| Armenia | 6 |
| Turkey | 6 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5 |
| Macedonia | 5 |
| Sri Lanka | 1.5 |
| India | 1.1 |
U.S. Child Custody Statistics
| USA 1990 Custody Statistics (19 States reporting) | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Sole possession granted to mother | 72.5% |
| Sole possession granted to father | 10.3% |
| Joint possession | 15.7% |
| Possession granted to other person(s) | 1.4% |
Many people believe that mothers are naturally better caregivers than fathers. And the US courts seem to agree. US Divorce Statistics show that a divorcing mother is 7 times more likely to retain sole custody of her children than a father.
Source: http://www.divorcepeers.com/stats17
Fathers, who want to protect their children from an abusive mother, are sometimes afraid to take legal action because they fear:
- Facing ridicule or disbelief from police or social services.
- Losing all contact with their children at the hands of a gender-biased legal system
- Facing steep legal costs.
- Facing abuse themselves at the hands of the perpetrator
- Being judged by their communities, families and friends.
Child Support Statistics
When it comes to child support, US census data indicates that:
- 79.6% of custodial mothers receive a child support award
- 29.9% of custodial fathers receive a child support award
US census data also indicates that fathers are more likely to fulfil their child support obligations than mothers:
- 43% of moms required to pay child support are "deadbeat moms" - i.e. they default on 100% of the money they owe,
- 32% of dads required to pay child support are "deadbeat dads" - i.e. they default on 100% of the money they owe.
One of the reasons that "deadbeat dads" get most of the bad press in the popular media is that there are a lot more of them - primarily for 2 reasons:
- There are 7 times more fathers than mothers who do not have primary custody of the children.
- Fathers are 3 times more likely than mothers to be ordered to pay child support than their female counterparts.
Source: 2002 Fox News Article