Missouri's divorce rate has fluctuated over recent decades, with current figures placing the state near the middle when compared to others across the United States. According to recent data, approximately three divorces per 1,000 people occur in Missouri annually. When measured per 1,000 married women aged fifteen and older, Missouri's rate stands around 14 to 15 divorces per 1,000, though exact figures vary by year and methodology.
These numbers place Missouri neither among states with the highest divorce rates nor among those with the lowest divorce rates. Nevada consistently tops national rankings with the highest divorce rate, over 4 divorces per 1,000 people, driven largely by Las Vegas's quick wedding and divorce industry. At the other extreme, northeastern states like Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey report some of the nation's lowest rates, often below 2.5 per 1,000 people.
The Declining Trend
One of the most significant findings about divorce in Missouri is that rates have been declining. Ten years ago, Missouri's divorce rate stood at approximately 2.1 percent based on one measurement methodology. Recent figures show this has dropped to around 1.8 percent, representing a decrease of roughly fourteen percent. This decline mirrors a nationwide trend, with divorce rates across the United States falling approximately seventeen percent over the same period.
The National Center for Health Statistics, which tracks vital statistics including marriage and divorce, confirms this downward trajectory. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the number of divorces per 1,000 people has steadily decreased since peaks in the 1970s and 1980s. While divorce became much more common after no-fault divorce laws made dissolution easier, the trend has reversed in recent decades.
Missouri's declining divorce rate follows patterns seen throughout most of the country. Only a handful of states have experienced increases in recent years, with the vast majority showing falling divorce rates. This suggests broad social and demographic changes affecting marriage stability rather than state-specific policies or conditions.
Why Divorce Rates Are Falling
Several factors contribute to declining divorce rates both nationally and in Missouri. Perhaps the most significant is that marriage itself has become less common. Missouri's marriage rate has dropped approximately four percent over the past decade. When fewer people marry, there are naturally fewer potential divorces.
The relationship between marriage rates and divorce rates isn't perfectly proportional, marriage rates have declined somewhat less than divorce rates, but the connection is clear. Younger generations, particularly Millennials, are choosing to wait longer before marrying or are foregoing marriage altogether in favor of cohabitation. Couples who live together without marrying can still separate, but these breakups don't appear in divorce statistics since no legal marriage existed.
The tendency to wait longer before marriage contributes to greater stability when couples do eventually wed. People who marry in their late twenties or thirties typically have more life experience, greater financial stability, and clearer understanding of what they want in partners than those who marry very young. Research consistently shows that couples who marry after age twenty-five are significantly less likely to divorce than those who marry between ages twenty and twenty-five.
Education levels also affect divorce likelihood, and rising educational attainment contributes to falling divorce rates. College-educated couples divorce at lower rates than those without degrees. As more people pursue higher education, the overall divorce rate naturally declines. This education effect reflects both greater economic stability and possibly better relationship skills among more educated individuals.
Age at Marriage and Divorce Risk
Age at marriage represents one of the strongest predictors of divorce probability. The average age for first marriages has steadily increased over recent decades. Women now typically marry around age twenty-eight, while men marry around age thirty, several years older than previous generations.
Couples married between the ages of twenty and twenty-five face approximately a sixty percent likelihood of divorce. Those who wait until after age twenty-five reduce their divorce risk by roughly twenty-four percent. This substantial difference helps explain why overall divorce rates decline as average marriage ages increase.
Young marriages face multiple challenges. People in their early twenties are still developing emotionally and establishing their identities. What seems like compatibility at twenty-one may not reflect true long-term compatibility once both partners mature. Financial instability is common among young adults, adds stress to relationships. Limited life experience can mean poor judgment about partner selection.
Waiting longer to marry allows people to complete their education, establish careers, gain relationship experience, and develop a clearer understanding of their own needs and values. These factors promote better partner selection and more stable marriages.
Regional Patterns
Geographic patterns in divorce rates show interesting variations across the United States. Northeastern states consistently report the lowest divorce rates, while southern and western states tend toward higher rates. This regional pattern reflects demographic differences, cultural attitudes toward marriage and divorce, religious influences, and economic factors.
Missouri straddles these regional patterns. As a midwestern state with both rural and urban areas, Missouri doesn't fit neatly into either high-divorce or low-divorce regional categories. The state's central position in divorce rankings reflects this geographic and cultural middle ground.
Within Missouri, divorce rates vary between rural and urban areas, though comprehensive county-by-county data can be difficult to obtain. Generally, urban areas with higher education levels and greater economic opportunities tend toward lower divorce rates than economically struggling rural communities.
Factors Influencing Individual Divorce Likelihood
While state-level statistics reveal broad trends, individual circumstances determine actual divorce probability. Multiple factors influence whether any particular marriage will survive or end in divorce.
Education strongly affects divorce likelihood. College graduates divorce at significantly lower rates than those with only a high school education. This reflects both economic stability that reduces financial stress, and potentially better communication and problem-solving skills. Advanced degrees further reduce divorce risk.
Income and financial stability matter considerably. Money problems rank among the top three reasons people cite for divorce, along with incompatibility and infidelity. Couples with stable finances and adequate income experience less stress and fewer conflicts over money, contributing to marriage stability.
Religious beliefs and practices influence divorce rates. Couples with strong religious commitments and regular religious participation divorce at lower rates than those without these characteristics. Whether this reflects religious teachings about marriage permanence, community support from religious communities, or other factors tied to religiosity remains debated, but the correlation is clear.
Having children affects divorce patterns in complex ways. Couples with children face both incentives to remain married for children's benefit and additional stresses from parenting responsibilities. Overall, childless couples divorce somewhat more readily than those with children, though the difference is modest.
The Meaning Behind the Statistics
Statistics about divorce rates provide context but don't predict individual outcomes. A state's overall divorce rate doesn't determine whether any specific marriage will succeed or fail. Personal circumstances, relationship quality, communication skills, commitment levels, and countless other factors matter far more than population-level statistics.
The declining divorce rate doesn't necessarily mean marriages are happier or more satisfying. Some of the decline reflects fewer people marrying at all. Couples who might have married and divorced in previous generations may now cohabit without marrying, removing both marriage and potential divorce from statistics without changing relationship stability.
Additionally, longer marriages don't automatically mean better marriages. Some people remain in unhappy marriages for financial reasons, for children, due to religious beliefs, or because divorce seems too difficult. Statistics cannot capture relationship quality or individual satisfaction.
No-Fault Divorce in Missouri
Missouri operates as a no-fault divorce state, meaning couples can divorce by simply stating their marriage is irretrievably broken rather than proving one spouse's wrongdoing. This system, adopted by Missouri and most other states in recent decades, made divorce more accessible and less acrimonious.
Some observers initially worried that no-fault divorce would cause divorce rates to skyrocket by removing barriers. While divorce did become more common after no-fault laws were passed, rates have since declined. This suggests that easier divorce access didn't fundamentally change how many marriages fail; it just changed how failing marriages end.
The no-fault system allows couples to end marriages that aren't working without forcing them to publicly air grievances or manufacture claims of abuse or adultery. This reduces conflict during divorce and may actually help some couples separate more amicably, particularly when children are involved.
Second and Third Marriages
Divorce rates increase substantially for second and subsequent marriages. While first marriages face roughly forty to fifty percent divorce risk, second marriages fail approximately sixty percent of the time. Third marriages fail at even higher rates, exceeding seventy percent.
These higher rates for remarriage reflect several factors. People who divorce once may have characteristics or patterns that make a successful marriage difficult. The presence of stepchildren creates additional relationship stresses. Financial complications from previous marriages, including alimony and child support obligations, can strain second marriages. Some people rush into remarriage before fully processing previous relationship failures.
Missouri's overall divorce statistics combine first marriages, second marriages, and subsequent marriages. The higher failure rates for remarriages pull up the average divorce rate even as first marriage success rates improve.
The Impact on Children and Families
Divorce affects not just couples but also children and extended families. Approximately one million children experience parental divorce each year in the United States. While divorce creates challenges for children, research shows that children generally adapt successfully, particularly when parents minimize conflict and maintain positive co-parenting relationships.
The declining divorce rate means fewer children experience parental divorce than in previous decades. However, the trend toward cohabitation without marriage means many children still experience parental separations that don't appear in divorce statistics.
Extended families also feel divorce. Grandparents may lose contact with grandchildren or find themselves providing financial and emotional support to adult children going through divorce. Siblings, cousins, and other relatives may face divided loyalties and disrupted family gatherings.
Looking Forward
Current trends suggest divorce rates will likely continue declining gradually as marriage ages increase, educational attainment rises, and economic conditions improve. The percentage of people who ever marry may continue falling as cohabitation becomes more acceptable.
Technological and social changes affect relationships in ways that may influence future divorce rates. Online dating has changed how people meet partners. Social media creates both new ways to maintain relationships and new sources of conflict. Economic changes, including student loan debt and housing costs, affect when and whether people marry.
Missouri will likely continue reflecting national trends while maintaining its position in the middle of state rankings. The state's mix of urban and rural areas, educational levels, and economic conditions positions it near the national average for most demographic measure’s including divorce.