The state of Divorce in Washington State from 2009 to 2019
What’s the Real Divorce Rate in Washington State?
A lot of us have already heard the statistic, ‘50% of all marriages end in divorce’.
Is this really true? And what’s the divorce rate in Washington state? A lot of people do get divorced, but do half of all marriages end in divorce?
The Washington State Department of Health Highlights stated that there were 45,542 marriages and 24,938 divorces in 2018, and 46,263 marriages and 25,231 divorces in 2017. The ratio of marriages to divorces stay consistent all the way back to 2009.
This would mean we could predict that in Washington State about 50-55% of marriages will end in divorce. In Washington, maybe 50% of marriages do end in divorce.
Accurately measuring the Washington State divorce rate has always been a challenge and will continue to be a challenge. Washington’s divorce rate is 3.5% per 1,000 total population, and the number of divorces in Washington has been steadily decreasing over the last 10 years (2009-2019).
Since the population of Washington has been increasing, we can safely say that the divorce rate in Washington State is declining.
Here are Some Additional Fascinating Statistics About Divorce in Washington State:
Here are some other interesting statistics about divorce in Washington State:
- Every 12 minutes, someone in Washington files for divorce
- 66% of divorces are filed by women
- 4% of people in the military file for divorce each year
- 50% of children will see their parents divorce in their lifetime
- 43% of children are living without their father involved in their lives
- The average first marriage lasts 8 years
- The divorce rate in Washington was 5.9 people per 1000 in 1990
- The divorce rate in Washington in 2018 was 3.5 people per 1000
You are more likely to get a divorce if you:
- Had parents that divorced
- Fight about money with your spouse
- Didn’t graduate high school
- Marry before age 25
- Smoke cigarettes, but your spouse doesn’t
- Have a friend going through a divorce
You are less likely to get a divorce if you:
- Are very religious
- Have a college degree
- Live in a blue state (which is good news for us here in Washington)
- Had happily married parents
- Marry after age 25
- Watch romantic movies with your spouse
Statistics from: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, WA State Depart of Health, Pew Research Center, and Washington Courts
Get in touch with us if you need a divorce attorney in Seattle.
