Divorce Rate
Does anyone know what the divorce rate is among Mormons? Google points to some reports that are old.
Posted May 22, 2022, 7:09 PM UTC
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Roughly the same as the general population.
This article is 20 years old, and from Deseret News, but still won’t put as good a spin on divorce rates among Mormons as many members would hope.
https://www.deseret.com/2002/8/11/19671265/statistics-offer-good-and-bad-news-for-lds
Twenty years on, I’d wager that that the divorce rate among Mormons has only gotten closer to national averages.
Consider that some of the leading indicators of divorce are age at time of marriage and differing views of religion.
Facts…
The median age of marriage across all demographics has risen over the past 20 years
The median age of marriage for Mormons has fallen (another consequence of lowering the mission age).
The younger a couple married, the higher the likelihood for divorce.
Those leaving the church (either officially, or PIMO) has risen in the past 20 years. If one half of a marriage leaves the religion, it increases the likelihood for divorce.
Given these facts, I would not be surprised to learn that the divorce rate among Mormons has actually started to outpace the general population.
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My two cents is that to a certain degree a higher rate of divorce is a good cultural sign. It means that individuals are able to get out of a bad situation. Especially when it comes to those steeped in Mormon culture. I have known several women that have wanted to leave their husbands but due to a large number of kids, no career options, and family pressure they felt like they had to stay in a marriage that was overall bad for them.
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The church data is not publicly available. However, what I have heard from people who do have access to that information is that unsealed marriages are about the same as national average, so they have decreased over the last few decades. Sealed marriages are much lower, but have about doubled over the last thirty years. I know that’s not super detailed, but it does point to a normalization of divorce even within sealings.
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My question would be how many sealed marriages are very unhappy and unhealthy but remain wed only in hopes of promised celestial glory? Or more precisely, don’t divorce for fear of the loss of celestial glory?