Arkansas family statistics at a glance
Arkansas family statistics, at least in the dataset supplied here, tell a very clear story about marriage and divorce over time: both rates are lower in 2023 than they were in the early 1990s, and the long arc shows a steady decline rather than a single sharp break.
The most recent figures show 7.8 marriages per 1,000 population in 2023 and 3.0 divorces per 1,000 population in 2023 (CDC marriage rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023; CDC divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023). Those two numbers are a useful starting point because they frame the rest of the trend: marriage remains much more common than divorce in the state, but both have moved downward over the decades.
Fast facts
- 2023 marriage rate: 7.8 per 1,000 population (CDC marriage rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023)
- 2023 divorce rate: 3.0 per 1,000 population (CDC divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023)
- Highest marriage rate in the dataset: 15.4 in 2000 (CDC marriage rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023)
- Highest divorce rate in the dataset: 6.9 in 1990 (CDC divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023)
- Lowest divorce rate in the dataset: 3.0 in 2023 (CDC divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023)
- Lowest marriage rate in the dataset: 7.8 in 2020 and 2023 (CDC marriage rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023)
Table of contents
- Marriage and divorce trends in Arkansas
- What the yearly pattern looks like
- Comparing peak years with recent years
- What stands out in the long-run data
- How to read these family statistics
Marriage and divorce trends in Arkansas
The strongest theme in the Arkansas family statistics dataset is drift downward over time.
Marriage rates were above 10 per 1,000 population for much of the 2000s and early 2010s, then gradually moved lower in the 2010s and 2020s. Divorce rates followed a similar but not identical path: they stayed relatively elevated through the mid-2000s and early 2010s, then settled into a lower band in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
That difference matters. Marriage and divorce do not move in lockstep, so looking at them side by side gives a clearer picture than either one on its own.
Big number: Arkansas marriage rate fell from 15.4 in 2000 to 7.8 in 2023 (CDC marriage rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023).
Big number: Arkansas divorce rate fell from 6.9 in 1990 to 3.0 in 2023 (CDC divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023).
A simple comparison table
| Year | Marriage rate | Divorce rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 15.3 | 6.9 |
| 1995 | 14.4 | 6.3 |
| 2000 | 15.4 | 6.4 |
| 2005 | 12.9 | 6.0 |
| 2010 | 10.8 | 5.7 |
| 2015 | 10.0 | 4.8 |
| 2020 | 7.8 | 3.6 |
| 2023 | 7.8 | 3.0 |
This table shows the long-run pattern cleanly:
- Marriage rate peaked in the early 2000s and then trended downward.
- Divorce rate started high in 1990, remained above 5 for many years, and then declined steadily after the mid-2010s.
- By 2023, both rates were much lower than their earlier peaks.
What the yearly pattern looks like
A year-by-year reading of the Arkansas family statistics dataset shows a mostly steady slide with a few short pauses.
Marriage rate milestones
Arkansas marriage rate was 15.3 in 1990, 14.4 in 1995, and 15.4 in 2000 (CDC marriage rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023). That early stretch suggests a period of consistently high marriage activity relative to later years.
After 2000, the figures step down in stages:
- 14.3 in 2001 and 2002
- 13.4 in 2003 and 2004
- 12.9 in 2005
- 12.4 in 2006
- 12.0 in 2007
- 10.7 in 2008 and 2009
- 10.8 in 2010
- 10.4 in 2011
- 10.9 in 2012
- 9.8 in 2013
- 10.1 in 2014
- 10.0 in 2015
- 9.9 in 2016
- 9.5 in 2017
- 8.9 in 2018
- 8.4 in 2019
- 7.8 in 2020 and 2023
- 8.2 in 2021
- 7.9 in 2022 (CDC marriage rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023)
The key point is not just that the rate declined. It declined in waves, with occasional small rebounds such as 2012 and 2014, but never returned to the early-2000s level.
Divorce rate milestones
The divorce side follows a different timeline but arrives at the same overall destination: lower rates in the present than in the past.
Arkansas divorce rate was 6.9 in 1990, 6.3 in 1995, and 6.4 in 2000 (CDC divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023). From there, the rate moved through these notable points:
- 6.2 in 2001 and 2002
- 6.0 in 2003 and 2005
- 6.1 in 2004
- 5.8 in 2006
- 5.9 in 2007
- 5.5 in 2008
- 5.7 in 2009 and 2010
- 5.3 in 2011 and 2012
- 5.0 in 2013
- 4.8 in 2014 and 2015
- 3.9 in 2016
- 3.7 in 2017
- 4.1 in 2018
- 4.0 in 2019
- 3.6 in 2020 and 2021
- 3.5 in 2022
- 3.0 in 2023 (CDC divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023)
The most notable feature here is the late-stage drop. Once Arkansas divorce rate moved below 5, it stayed there, and the newest figure of 3.0 is the lowest point in the dataset.
Comparing peak years with recent years
The dataset becomes especially useful when you compare the peaks with the latest entries.
Marriage: from peak to present
| Measure | Peak year | Peak rate | Recent year | Recent rate | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marriage rate | 2000 | 15.4 | 2023 | 7.8 | -7.6 |
That is a reduction of 7.6 marriages per 1,000 population between the peak and 2023 (CDC marriage rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023). Put differently, the 2023 rate is about half the 2000 peak.
Divorce: from peak to present
| Measure | Peak year | Peak rate | Recent year | Recent rate | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divorce rate | 1990 | 6.9 | 2023 | 3.0 | -3.9 |
Here the decline is 3.9 divorces per 1,000 population from 1990 to 2023 (CDC divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023). That drop is substantial, but it is smaller in absolute terms than the marriage decline because the divorce rate started from a lower base.
The spread between marriage and divorce
A useful way to read Arkansas family statistics is to compare the gap between marriage and divorce each year.
- In 1990, the gap was 8.4 points: 15.3 marriages versus 6.9 divorces.
- In 2000, the gap was 9.0 points: 15.4 marriages versus 6.4 divorces.
- In 2010, the gap was 5.1 points: 10.8 marriages versus 5.7 divorces.
- In 2023, the gap was 4.8 points: 7.8 marriages versus 3.0 divorces.
The gap narrowed over time because both measures fell, but divorce fell more quickly in the last stretch. That does not tell you why the decline happened, but it does show the relative movement in the state-level rates.
What stands out in the long-run data
The dataset is compact, but it still gives several strong takeaways.
1. The decline is broad, not isolated
This is not just a single bad year or a one-off spike. Both rates trend lower across decades, which means the pattern is persistent rather than noisy.
2. Marriage changed more dramatically than divorce
Marriage rate moved from the mid-teens into the high sevens. Divorce rate moved from the high sixes into the low threes. Both fell, but marriage showed the larger absolute drop.
3. The 2010s were a transition decade
For marriage, the 2010s show a stair-step pattern: 10.8 in 2010, 10.4 in 2011, 10.9 in 2012, 9.8 in 2013, 10.1 in 2014, then down toward 8.4 by 2019 (CDC marriage rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023).
For divorce, the transition is slightly later: 5.3 in 2011 and 2012, 5.0 in 2013, 4.8 in 2014 and 2015, then a sharper move to 3.9 in 2016 (CDC divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023).
4. The latest year is not a rebound year
Some datasets show a temporary dip followed by a recovery. This one does not. The 2023 numbers remain low relative to the rest of the timeline:
- 7.8 marriage rate in 2023, tied with 2020 for the lowest marriage rate in the dataset
- 3.0 divorce rate in 2023, the lowest divorce rate in the dataset (CDC marriage rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023; CDC divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023)
That makes 2023 an important endpoint for anyone reading Arkansas family statistics as a trend story.
How to read these family statistics
The phrase Arkansas family statistics can mean many things in a broad sense, but this dataset gives a narrower, rate-based snapshot. It is best used as a trend indicator rather than a complete picture of family life.
What these rates do well
- They show long-run shifts in legal relationship formation and dissolution.
- They make state-to-state and year-to-year comparison possible when used with the same source series.
- They reveal direction and pace, especially when the numbers are laid out across multiple decades.
What these rates do not show
- They do not explain the causes of the changes.
- They do not capture all family structures, household forms, or lived experiences.
- They do not show how rates differ by age, county, income, or urban-rural setting.
Quick reading guide
If you are scanning the data for the most important signals, focus on these three comparisons:
- 1990 vs. 2023 for both marriage and divorce.
- 2000 vs. 2023 for the biggest marriage-rate shift.
- 2015 to 2023 for the sharpest divorce-rate drop in the later period.
Those comparisons show the core pattern without forcing you to read every annual value separately.
A compact insight block
- Arkansas marriage rate was highest around 2000 and lowest in 2020 and 2023 (CDC marriage rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023).
- Arkansas divorce rate was highest in 1990 and lowest in 2023 (CDC divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2023).
- The long-term direction for both measures is downward, with marriage falling more sharply in absolute terms.
- The latest values suggest a lower-rate environment that has held for several years rather than a sudden one-year swing.