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The divorce rate in America is dropping, and is at its lowest level in years; 3.6 per 1,000 citizens as of 2005, down from its 1981 peak of 5.3 (hey, that's when my parents were divorced). In the year 2000 it stood at 4.2 per 1,000 and in 1995 43 persons were divorced per every 1,000 U.S. citizens . Of course the marriage rate is dropping as well, and you can't have divorce without it. The marriage rate in the U.S. is currently about 7.5 percent.

Interestingly enough, Nevada, the state with the highest divorce rate at 6.4%, also had the highest marriage rate, as you might expect. What is actually interesting though is that, due to the high number of insta-marriages in Las Vegas wedding chapels, the marriage rate in that state is over 60%, almost 9 times that of the U.S. average, but it gets even better. In 1990, the marriage rate in Nevada was an astounding 99%!

Washington DC has the lowest divorce rate in the nation, at 1.7% in 2004. Of course in 2004 Washington DC also had by far the highest murder rate in the U.S., at 3.6 murders per 1,000 residents. The murder rate in DC in 2004 was 3 times that of the next highest state, Louisiana, who was about twice as high as the rest of the country (source - FBI Uniform Crime Reports. ). Is there a correlation between the very low divorce rate and the very high rate of murder in DC? That's a subject for better minds than mine, but it does make you wonder a bit.

Another interesting bit of knowledge is that most of the marriage statistics were gleaned from the U.S. CDC, while most of the divorce stats came from the U.S. Census Bureau.. Why is the Center for Disease Control tracking our marriages?

Okay, so why discus statistics on divorce in a finance blog? Because a large number of divorces either cause serious financial problems, or are caused by financial problems. According to Associated Content, financial problems are actually the most common cause of divorce, with infidelity being only number two. Cheat on me, just don't spend my money without telling me.

Actually the problem of financial problems causing divorce is rooted in differing value systems. In many cases the two spouses have different fundamental beliefs about what's important, and how they should spend their disposable income. In many cases one or both spouses will spend in excess of their disposable income. For example the husband will think nothing of dropping $2,000 on a Browning Cynergy Classic for duck season, even if it goes on a credit card. On the other hand, the wife hits the Paypal account for a few pairs of Linda Pritcher pumps at $150 per.

Both spouses attach little value to the other's purchases, which leads to problems, especially if the new toys contribute to credit card debt. The stress of financial problems is compounded because neither party feels the other's purchases were warranted or have value approaching their monetary cost. Cynthia Cooper, Ph.D, marriage counselor and author says that 43% of married couples have marital spats over money and spending issues.

To avoid this she suggests open and honest communication. If expenses are agreed upon beforehand and both spouses sign off, many arguments and possible divorce can be avoided. Something else suggested by experts in the field is to set a spending limit above which purchases must be approved by both spouses. Below that amount, a set number of purchases may be made every month. If for example, the limit is $50, either spouse can buy one thing a month at or below this limit without getting the other's approval. Above this and both must pre-approve the expense. This goes a long way to avoiding financial problems and stress in a marriage and possible trips to the attorney later, and you know how much lawyers cost these days.

Another helpful tip to avoid financial induced financial stress in your married life is to do the same as many financial experts suggest for everyone; create a budget and stick to it. Having a budget will not only help ease financial stress in your marriage, it can show you where you're leaking financially so you can plug the leaks, and go on to a sounder financial footing.

Hopefully this look at statistics on divorce will help you. If you're one of those who doesn't need the information, so much the better.