Dear Friends,
You may not have heard the news. A recent study from the University of Maryland has shown that
members of the generation born in and after the mid 1980s are divorcing at a lower rate than prior generations!
Philip Cohen, a sociology professor at the University of Maryland, released a study which drew on census data to
show that the divorce rate in the United States had dropped by 18 percent between the years 2008 and 2016. The
drop was credited in large part to millennials staying married–even if they are marrying at lower rates than
previous generations did at the same age.
Dr. John Grabowski, associate professor of moral theology and ethics at the Catholic University of
America, told Catholic News Agency that he believes the report is “kind of good news and bad news.”
“The good news is: the divorce rate is falling, particularly among millennials. The bad news is less
people are getting married, especially poorer people. Many people are just choosing to cohabit.” While it had
been thought that a drop in the divorce rate could be credited to an aging population less likely to divorce, the
study showed that even when controlling for age the divorce rate still dropped by 8 percent, and that the
millennials who do marry tend to stay married more than older demographics.
Grabowski hypothesized that the lower divorce rates among millennials could be partly explained by
marriage no longer being considered a social expectation or requirement among their generation. This means that
those who do marry are being “much more intentional” about the process, he said. “In some ways they’re
swimming against the tide a bit culturally by doing that. People are more aware now of the resources and
practices that they need to have a healthy marriage–in other words, to keep a marriage working,” he explained.
Cohabiting couples often cite disincentives to marry–such as the high cost of a “fairytale wedding”–but
Grabowski told Catholic News Agency that he believes the benefits of married life clearly outweigh any
cost. “We have decades of social scientific research that shows that people who do get married do better
economically, health-wise, and emotionally than people who simply cohabit or serially cohabit with different
people,” he said.
In the midst of all the challenges our culture is facing, we should rejoice in a bit of good news. When
people choose to marry, they are doing so with more wisdom and they are understanding that it is forever. May
that trend continue!
Peace,
Fr. Damian