U.S. Divorce Rates Among Foreign-Born and Native-Born Populations in the Aftermath of the Great Recession

• In Event: Families and Migration (Co-sponsored by Sociology of the Population Section)

Abstract

Globally, there were an estimated 281 million migrants in 2020. As the population of immigrants in the United States continues to grow, it is imperative to assess familial and individual health and well-being. After the Great Recession in 2007 and 2008, the demographic composition of immigrant populations in the United States shifted considerably; Unauthorized migration from Mexico dropped considerably while migration from Central America and Asia increased, as well as eventually streams from Europe, Africa, and South America. Additionally, prior research has suggested that divorce rates among immigrant populations in the United States are lower than their native-born peers. However, researchers have not yet considered how variation in the composition of immigrant populations during and after the Great Recession may have impacted divorce rates. Guided by demographic transition theory and assimilation theory, I aim to answer the following questions: Considering variation in national origin, how do divorce rates compare in foreign-born versus native-born individuals during and after the Great Recession? Did the shift in demographic composition of immigrant populations in the United States contribute to variation in divorce rates among foreign-born populations? To address these questions, I draw on data from the 2008, 2013, 2018, and 2023 American Community Survey.

Author

• Katherine Geneva Ripley, Bowling Green State University