Anna Blazuk/Moment RF/Getty Images
According to the data, marriage rates rose in 2022, while divorce rates continued to decline.
CNN
—
2022 has become the year of marriage after the coronavirus lockdown, according to new data.
As the numbers show, the number of marriages plummeted at the start of the pandemic. New data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics shows that for the past 20 years, the number of marriages has hovered around 7 to 8 marriages per 1,000 people per year.
However, the marriage rate fell to 5.1 per 1,000 people in 2020, according to the data. According to the report, the marriage rate began to rise the following year, and by 2022 there would be 6.2 marriages per citizen, or more than 2 million marriages per year.
Marissa Nelson, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Washington, D.C., said the increase in marriage rates may not just be due to schedule changes.
Staying together in lockdown has imposed unique hurdles for many couples to overcome, making them think intentionally about how to approach important things like finances, compromise, and autonomy. . Nelson said the experience has given many people a better understanding of what they need in a life partner.
Intentionality may also be behind the decline in divorce rates, she added.
The divorce rate in 2022 was 2.4 per 1,000 people. While this is not an all-time low, in 2021 he was at 2.3 – a continued downward trend according to the data.
By comparison, the divorce rate in 2000 was 4 in 1,000. This means divorce rates are significantly lower now than they were 20 years ago.
Nelson said being stuck at home together during lockdown forced many couples to confront their relationship problems head-on. That could have sparked further conflict or helped lay a better foundation for a stable future, she added.
Changes over the past two decades may also have helped. Nelson said therapy has become more normalized, roles in marriages have become more flexible, and people have become more comfortable talking openly about how they want their marriages to work.
Another big change these days is the way people get married, says Ian Kerner, a licensed marriage and family therapist and CNN contributor.
“In my practice over the past 10 years, I have noticed a gradual shift from a ‘love marriage’ to a ‘marriage of companions’ – that is, rather than passionate partners to begin with. “More and more people are choosing marriage partners who are like their best friends,” Kerner said in an email.
Doing so can lead to attraction issues, but it also means those people are choosing partners based on qualities that are likely to promote long-term stability and satisfaction, he said. said in a previous CNN article.
“At a minimum, the concept of commitment means experiencing a bond with another person. At its best, it is a consistent, safe and secure base that is there for you in the face of any adversity.” It means a bond with someone,” Boston psychologist Dr. Monica O’Neill said recently on CNN. article.
