Marriage & Divorce Statistics - The Barna Group
The Barna Group, a research organization focusing on the state of faith and spirituality in the United States, released new statistics on marriage and divorce today. A couple highlights:
- 4 in 5 of us will be married at least once
- 1 in 3 will be divorced at least once
Here’s an interesting comment by George Barna, director of the study:
“There no longer seems to be much of a stigma attached to divorce; it is now seen as an unavoidable rite of passage,” the researcher indicated. “Interviews with young adults suggest that they want their initial marriage to last, but are not particularly optimistic about that possibility. There is also evidence that many young people are moving toward embracing the idea of serial marriage, in which a person gets married two or three times, seeking a different partner for each phase of their adult life.”
What do you think of these statistics? Do agree that many see divorce as “unavoidable” or even as part of a natural progression through adult life?
Tags: divorce, divorce statistics, marriage, marriage statistics, statistics, the barna groupPOSTED IN: Marriage News
6 opinions for Marriage & Divorce Statistics - The Barna Group
40 Years Later and Still Going Strong | Marriage Diva
Apr 1, 2008 at 10:18 am
[…] major lies and infidelity, we decided that indifference was one of the biggest reasons. Over at Marriage Actually today, there’s a post about a recent marriage study saying there’s not a stigma […]
Maria
Apr 1, 2008 at 4:25 pm
I do not see divorce as “unavoidable” or part of a natural progression, nor does my husband, which is probably why we have a much better relationship than some of our friends. We are committed to open communication and working through difficulties rather than caving when things get tough.
On the other hand– my sister is a serial marrier. She married her first husband not long after her 19th birthday, only to be divorced a year later. Her second marriage also lasted less than a year… after they were really only together a few months because she was deployed to Afghanistan for most of their marriage.
Bald Man
Apr 1, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Maria,
Such a sad story. :( My sense is that those who may have embraced a “serial” approach to marriage have generally done so our of resignation and not desire. They can no longer envision the possibility of a vibrant, life long relationship, so they opt for what appears to be the best available alternative.
IndyChristian
Apr 2, 2008 at 6:00 am
As we’ve pointed out at http://indychristian.com/2008/03/new-barna-divorce-stats-tell-different.html Barna’s stats still fall short of reflecting equal-footed comparisons.
Ashey
Apr 2, 2008 at 11:39 am
I hate that theory - that a lifelong marriage is silly and that you should pick a new partner for each stage. Should we also pick new children for each stage? Brothers and sisters that better suit our changing personalities? What about parents? I can tell you there would be a lot of teenagers making that choice..
Bald Man
Apr 2, 2008 at 11:32 pm
Indy,
Interesting thoughts on the study. While I suspect those stats are only the highlights, we should all be careful not to assume facts not in evidence.
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