As Two-Income Family Model Matures, Divorce Rate Falls

You hear it nearly every day: There’s an epidemic of divorce, with one in two marriages failing. Except it’s not the complete picture: The divorce rate is actually falling in America, thanks to economic and behavioral changes.

The big spike in divorce came in the postwar period, particularly the 1970s, a time when women entered the workforce in large numbers and divorce laws were liberalized.

But in the last couple of decades, even as women have continued working and divorce remains an easy legal procedure, the rates have fallen as couples marry later and, some say, are better managing the two-income life that may have been a stress point for past unions.

Read More: CNBC