Increase in U.S. Second Marriages

A report by Pew Research Center reveals that the occurrence of remarriages, either as a result of divorce or the death of a spouse, is on the rise in the United States. According to the report, out of all new marriages in 2013, forty percent were remarriages, and the number of people who remarried last year nearly doubled since 1980.

Additionally, the report showed both gender and generational differences in remarriage rates. Men are not only more likely than women to remarry, but are also more likely to marry a younger partner. While rates for older individuals remarrying are on the rise, rates for younger individuals are down. Researchers attribute the increase in remarriages to the large number of baby boomers, increased divorce rates, and changing views on marriage.

See Fredrick Kunkle, Forty Percent of New U.S. Marriages Are Remarriages, Report Finds, The Washington Post, Nov. 14, 2014.

Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.