The provided charts illustrate marriage and divorce rates in the United States between 1970 and 2000, and depict the marital status of adult Americans in 1970 and 2000. Overall, there was a noticeable decline in marriage rates and an increase in divorce rates over this period. In addition, there were significant shifts in the marital status of adults during these years.
The first chart reveals a clear trend of decreasing marriage rates from 1970 to 2000. In 1970, there were about 2.5 million marriages in the USA, which gradually decreased to 2.1 million by 2000. The rate experienced a small uptick in the 1980s but continued its downward trajectory thereafter. Conversely, the divorce rate saw an initial increase from 1970, with approximately 1 million divorces, peaking in 1980 with about 1.4 million divorces. Afterward, the divorce rate showed a slight decline, stabilizing at around 1 million divorces by the year 2000.
The second chart provides a comparison of marital status in 1970 and 2000. In 1970, the majority of adult Americans were married, with about 70% of adults in this category. However, by 2000, the percentage of married adults had dropped to about 60%. Meanwhile, the proportion of divorced adults increased substantially from 2% in 1970 to 10% in 2000. Similarly, the percentage of never-married adults grew from 15% in 1970 to approximately 20% in 2000. The percentage of widowed adults remained relatively stable over these years, at about 8%.