What is one reason divorce rates have fallen in recent years?

• A. Fewer people marry at all
• B. Laws making divorce harder
• C. Higher stigma
• D. More couples choose not to marry.

Answer: (D)

A fall in divorce rates happens when fewer people marry, because the number of divorces is tied to the number of marriages that occur. If more couples choose not to marry, there are fewer marriages at risk of ending in divorce, so the overall rate drops even if the likelihood of a divorce among those who do marry stays the same. In recent years, changes in social norms have led people to delay or skip marriage, which reduces the base from which divorces can arise. The other options don’t fit the trend as well, since laws making divorce harder and rising stigma would not typically explain a real decline in divorces—the general pattern has been toward easier access to divorce and more permissive attitudes, not more restrictions or greater stigma.