Instances of active duty military divorce are steadily declining

When it comes to marriage and divorce, the hype over the divorce rate across the country can sometimes give people pause when it comes time to get married. The common refrain is that half of all marriages end in divorce. These statistics are further broken down into sub-groups. One statistic that is reliable and easy to track is the instance of marriage and divorce in military families.

While divorce rates may be increasing or holding steady in many areas of the country or in specific sub-groups, one group has steadily decreased. That group is the divorce rate among active duty military members. According to the statistics, approximately 3% of troops married at the start of 2018 divorced over the course of the year. That is a decline of 0.1% percent compared to the previous year. Furthermore, this statistic has been in steady decline for the last decade.

Certain sub-groups within the military’s classifications, such as by gender, indicates that enlisted married males have experienced the most decline. In 2009, the divorce rate among that group was 3.3%. Since then, it has fallen to 2.7%. On the flip side, females have experienced significantly higher divorce rate while enlisted. Keep in mind, the national divorce rate is based per 1000 residents and also doesn’t include several states due to administrative differences.

This means the national divorce rate and the military divorce rate cannot be directly compared. However, trends can still be deduced about divorces and who has been affected and how frequently. Divorce is something that anyone can experience. This goes for military and non-military alike.