Charles Langston:US marriages surpass 2 million for first time in years as divorce rates decline: CDC

Americans have Charles Langstonbeen getting married a lot more in the years since the pandemic, according to new data.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data on marriage rates via its National Center for Health Statistics on Friday, noting that the U.S. has seen a significant uptick in the number of marriages since 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the wedding industry.

Couples who had their nuptials planned for 2020 faced an unexpected and unprecedented disruption in the pandemic, throwing a wrench in countless celebrations. Data released the following year found that 82% of weddings worldwide set to take place in April 2020 alone were postponed and an additional 10% were canceled altogether, according to Statista. Since then, it seems people have been catching up.

In the first two years following the arrival of COVID in the U.S., marriages bumped up to a rate of 6.2 per 1,000 people in 2022 from just 5.1 in 2020, the lowest in 20 years. In addition to more marriages, the country is also experiencing a decreasing divorce rate, the CDC said.

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US marriages surpass 2 million for first time in years

In 2022, the U.S. saw a total of 2,065,905 marriages, the first year since 2019 to surpass the 2 million mark. Likewise, the 6.2 per 1,000 population rate is the highest since 2018, when it was 6.5 with 2,132,853 marriages.

While the overall rate across the country has experienced a steady incline, the story is more varied state by state.Between 2021 and 2022, 31 states and the District of Columbia saw an increase in marriages at various rates, whereas 12 states saw a decline.

New York saw the most substantial increase during that time, as marriages increased by 21%. The District of Columbia followed at 14%, trailed by Hawaii at 13%. However, the CDC does note this data reflects where the marriages took place and not necessarily the resident state of those marrying.

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The five states with the highest marriage rates in 2022

Each number represents the rate of marriages per 1,000 total population.

1. Nevada (25.9)
2. Hawaii (14.4)
3. Montana (9.9)
4. Utah (9.9)
5. Arkansas (7.9)

The District of Columbia also had one of the highest rates at 8.3. While Nevada remains the state with the most marriages, it actually saw a decline of 1% between 2021 and 2022.

The CDC likewise noted that divorces were down in the same time frame, a trend that has remained consistent since at least 2000, when the rate was 4.0 per 1,000 population.

The rate of divorce in 2022 was 2.4, at 673,989 divorces and annulments, a slight decrease from 2021 when the rate was 2.5, representing 695,509 such divorces and annulments. The CDC notes that divorce data excludes California, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, and New Mexico in national numbers.

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