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Divorce Data Public-Use Data Files

bullet graphicSurvey description
bullet graphicData file description
bullet graphicList of data file variables at a glance
bullet graphicData file technical characteristics
bullet graphicGeographic coverage
bullet graphicData availability
bullet graphicOrdering information
bullet graphicDocumentation contents
bullet graphicRelated reports
bullet graphicContact

Survey description
Divorce data include all divorces occurring in States that meet reporting criteria for inclusion in the divorce-registration area. Divorces occurring outside the divorce-registration area are not included.

Data file description
Data are obtained from certificates of divorces occurring in each registration State. Records from each State in the divorce-registration area were sampled at one of five sampling rates used in processing 1968-90 data. Data are weighted, based on the sampling fraction of the reporting State.

The files include one record for each divorce in the sample. Divorce certificate numbers are not in the files. NCHS does not distribute certificates, files, or indexes with identifying information for divorces. Please refer to "Where to write for vital records"

List of data file variables at a glance
Data year
Age at decree and at marriage:
indent graphicHusband
indent graphicWife
Age at separation1 (1970-88):
indent graphicHusband
indent graphicWife
Date of birth (month/year):
indent graphicHusband
indent graphicWife
Petitioner (1974-88)
Date of marriage (month/year)
Date of separation1 (month/year; 1970-88)
Duration of marriage
Education1 (1970-88):
indent graphicHusband
indent graphicWife
Month of divorce
Number of children under 18 years of age
Number of this marriage:1
indent graphicHusband
indent graphicWife
Number of previous marriages ended by death1 (1970-88):
indent graphicHusband
indent graphicWife
Number of previous marriages ended by divorce1 (1970-88):
indent graphicHusband
indent graphicWife
Race (three categories):1
indent graphicHusband
indent graphicWife
State of marriage1(1972-88)
State of divorce
State of residence:
indent graphicHusband
indent graphicWife
Total number of living children1 (1970-88)
Record weight
Custody of children (1989-90)
___________________________________________________
1Applicable only for those States having information on the certificate.

Note: Many of these variables are not available past 1988.

Data file technical characteristics
The divorce data files are fixed-length files. Other characteristics are:

Data
year

Number of
records
1990 127,324
1989 125,282
1988 277,434
1987 281,246
1986 279,251
1985 277,400
1984 273,224
1983 272,327
1982 272,683
1981 279,513
1980 271,180
1979 273,819
1978 247,504
1977 245,693
1976 194,658
1975 169,904
1974 114,445
1973 107,160
1972 98,981
1971 91,431
1970 80,898
1969 72,272
1968 62,078

Geographic coverage
Divorce data are classified by State of occurrence. The divorce-registration area included 26 States in 1968, 28 States in 1969-70, 29 States in 1971-77, 28 States in 1978, 30 States in 1979-80, 31 States in 1981-85, and 31 States and the District of Columbia in 1986-90. Data are not classified for counties or cities.

Data availability
Divorce data are collected annually. Data are only available on CD-ROM for individual years from 1968-90.  Beginning January 1, 1996, the availability of marriage and divorce data collected changed.  Please refer to the notice "Change in the Reporting of Marriage and Divorce Statistics" for information about data after 1990.

Ordering information
Divorce public-use data can only be purchased through the National Technical Information Service (NTIS).  Check for availability and contact NTIS for current ordering information. 

Documentation contents
The CD-ROM package contains the necessary documentation, including content and technical information, needed to access the data. A discussion of the sample design, sampling procedures, estimating procedures, and sampling errors is part of the documentation of this file. Control total tables are also included.

Related reports
Reports that relate to the data are available in Vital and Health Statistics, Series 21; Supplements to the Monthly Vital Statistics Report; and Vital Statistics of the United States, Volume III, Marriage and Divorce.

Contact
Reproductive Statistics Branch
Division of Vital Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
3311 Toledo Road, Room 7318
Hyattsville, Maryland 20782
(301) 458-4111

 

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This page last reviewed November 17, 2009

H H S Health and Human Services logo and link
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Health Statistics
Hyattsville, MD
20782

 1-800-232-4636