Some Texas residents may think that the divorce rate for military couples would be higher than the divorce rate for civilian couples. This is not necessarily the case, though. Divorce rates have steadily gone down for the past several years.
According to Military.com, the most recent statistics indicate that male service members in all five branches of the military saw decreased divorce rates in 2017. Divorce rates for female service members also declined. However, the particular branch of the military a woman served played a role in the divorce rate. Women were more likely to divorce when they served in the Marines. Roughly 7.1 percent of female marines divorced in 2017, a number that has changed little for the past six years. Female service members in the Air Force and Army have experienced a consistent decrease in divorce rates.
The 2017 divorce rate was just between 3 percent and 3.1 percent and was slightly lower than the 2016 divorce rate. Researchers have noted that while fewer service members are divorcing, fewer are also choosing to get married. Married service members made up 51.7 percent of active-duty troops in 2017, a roughly 6 percent decrease from previous years.
Researchers have suggested several reasons why military divorces may be declining. Task and Purpose says that fewer service members have been deployed abroad than in past years. This may suggest that military families are under less stress, allowing couples time to resolve their issues peacefully. Additionally, the decline in divorce rates for female service members may indicate that women are better able to focus on their families. Policies intended to help female service members may also account for this change.