The charts compare the rates of marriages and divorces from 1970 to 2000, as well as the marital status among grown-ups in 1970 and 2000. Both surveys were conducted in the USA.
Overall, marriages were more prevalent than divorces despite their downward tendency over the course of time. Meanwhile, a rising number of people appeared to be reluctant towards getting married.
In 1970, there were 2.5 million couples deciding to tie the knot, which gradually dropped by 1.5 million until 2000. In contrast, the figure of divorced couples started at 1 million. After a mild increase in 1980, it returned to the initial number during the final year, which was half of the marriage rate.
At the same time, seven out of ten adults were married in 1970, outnumbering bachelors by nearly 7 times. However, the year 2000 witnessed a decline of 10% in married inhabitants, whereas one-fifth of American adults preferred staying single. The figure for other modes of status, including those who lost or split up with their partners, remained below 10% in both examined years.