Marriages and Divorces

This page provides access to annual statistics on marriages and divorces that occurred in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Stats, ch. 69 authorizes the State Registrar in the Department of Health Services (DHS) to supervise and direct the collection of marriage and divorce data. This statute also specifies how local registrars are to collect and file certificates of marriage and how clerks of court are to report divorces granted in their courts.

The sources of data for the annual Wisconsin Marriages and Divorces report are certificates of marriage and divorce maintained by DHS.

Key findings

• In 2024, the marriage rate in Wisconsin was 5.2 marriages per 1,000 residents and the divorce rate was 2.0 divorces per 1,000 residents.
• Most marriages in Wisconsin take place during late summer or early fall.
• There was a spike in divorces at the end of World War II, and rates climbed again after 1960, peaking in the early 1980s. Since then, there has been a steady decline with a more recent leveling off around 2010, both in Wisconsin and nationally.
• There was a noticeable drop in both marriage and divorce rates during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin and the U.S. as a whole.

Downloadable data tables

• Wisconsin Marriages and Divorces Data Tables, 2023 (Excel)
• Wisconsin Marriages and Divorces Data Tables, 2021 and 2022 (Excel)

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