There isn’t much to thank Covid for – fear, worry, stolen time. However, new statistics show that after the Covid-19 lockdowns, 2022 got downright lovey-dovey. It was, in fact, a year of plenty of marriages. Though some relationships deteriorated during the pandemic with n forced closeness and strain, it appears that other relationships thrived and, surprisingly, divorce is down.
Marriage and Divorce Before and After Covid
New data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics found the following stats about marriage and divorce on either side of the pandemic:
- The past two decades showed marriages holding around 7 to 8 per 1,000 people annually.
- In 2020, the marriage rate was down to 5.1 per 1,000 people.
- Marriages nosedived at the start of the pandemic.
- In 2021, the marriage rate began to climb.
- By 2022, marriages had reached 6.2 per capita (2 million in a year).
What’s Behind an Upswing in Marriages?
It’s easy to say these new marriage rates are a product of inaccurate statistics. So many couples put off their weddings during the first two years of Covid, rescheduling multiple times for safety, to avoid mask wearing, and in the hopes that all their favorite people could be present to celebrate their union.
These postponements and their subsequent happenings, though, may have far less to do with the growing number of marriages on this side of Covid. Couples were forced to face the tough stuff during a worldwide pandemic and they either thrived or deteriorated. Intentional decision-making was necessary, and there was plenty of time to have heavy conversations about finances, children, compromise, preferences, and autonomy.
Many pairs came out of a difficult time that much stronger, which made them all the more certain they wanted to get married and soon, and made them work that much harder to avoid a Michigan divorce.
Making the Choice to Marry or Divorce
Forced closeness and struggles can lead to far stronger relationships or these hurdles can crack unions that are unable to weather major storms. The pairs who figured out their strengths and weaknesses before getting legally wed are lucky. They may have felt confident moving ahead in their relationship and getting married while others decided that splitting up was the right choice.
Ideally, everyone emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic feeling stronger and more confident about what they need, want, and deserve in a life partner. Hopefully, you’re loving and living with the right person right now.
Divorce Is Down but Not Gone
Divorces remain on a longstanding downward trend, not just thanks to the closeness forced by Covid, but by other major factors such as the normalization of couples therapy, flexible marriage roles, and honesty about what people want from their marriage. Many people prioritize the importance of living and loving life with a compatible companion and they’re not seeking romance above all – they want a long-term, reliable relationship that is stable and satisfying.
If you are in a space where it’s time to consider the end of your marriage, talk to a divorce lawyer at Femminineo Attorneys.