In 2020, Tennessee recorded over 50,500 new marriages or 7.3 per 1,000 people. In contrast, there were over 22,350 divorces or 3.2 per 1,000 people. From 2011 to 2021, the state had a 15% increase in marriages and a 23% decline in the divorce rate. Nationwide, the marriage rate decreased from 16.3 in 2011 to 14.9 in 2021. The national divorce rate declined from 9.7 in 2011 to 6.9 per 1,000 women in 2021. According to 2022 U.S. Census data, approximately 131.7 million married adults over age 15, not counting the 4.6 million separated spouses.
Divorce in the US
According to the US census data, Tennessee’s marriage rate is not significantly different than the national average, but the state’s divorce rate for women is. Per the Census, the divorce rate for Tennessee women was 13 in 2011 and declined to 8.5 in 2021. In 2020, the divorce rate for men was around 6.6 nationwide and 8.6 in Tennessee. For women, the national divorce rate was 6.9 in 2020. Researchers have historically found that women self-report this data more often and accurately than their counterparts.
More on divorce rate
Nationwide, 90% of adults age 60 or older have been married. The census estimates that 63% of the men age 15 or older have been married. Approximately 69% of the women age 15 or older have been married. Among adults married during the ‘70s, at least 50% reached their 25th anniversary. Around 59% of adults 60 or older have been married once. Around 43% of adults ages 55 to 64 have had a divorce before.
In contrast, around 33% of men and women age 20 or older who have been married have had a divorce. Among adults age 60 and over, 20% have married at least twice. For those ages 60 t o 69, 39% of the women and 46% of the men are still married to their first spouse. The divorce trend for adults age 50 or older has been on the rise since the ‘90s.