The line graph compares the number of marriages and divorces per 1,000 people in one country between 1960 and 2020.
Overall, the marriage rate fell significantly after a brief rise, while the divorce rate increased until 1990 and then declined. Marriages remained more common than divorces throughout, although the difference became much smaller.
The marriage rate rose from 8.5 per 1,000 in 1960 to a peak of 9.2 in 1970. It then fell consistently, to 7.4 in 1980, 6.1 in 1990 and 5.2 in 2000. The decline continued, with figures of 4.6 in 2010 and 3.9 in 2020, less than half of the peak value.
Divorces started at a very low level of 0.9 per 1,000, but they rose rapidly to 1.5 in 1970 and 2.7 in 1980. They reached their maximum of 3.2 in 1990, more than three times the 1960 rate. After that they declined gradually, to 2.9 in 2000 and 2.5 in 2010, falling to 2.0 in 2020. In 1960 marriages outnumbered divorces by nearly ten to one, but by 2020 the ratio was less than two to one.