Reference guide · Updated September 30, 2026

North Carolina divorce statistics and facts.

A clear, source-backed snapshot of divorce and marriage figures that matter in North Carolina. The newest statewide figures currently available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are for 2023.

View sources and methodology

North Carolina at a glance

The statewide rate was 2.7 divorces per 1,000 residents.

This 2023 figure is a rate, not a percentage of marriages. It is based on provisional counts of divorces in North Carolina and the state’s total population.

See the CDC’s 2023 state divorce-rate table

2.7

Divorces per 1,000 North Carolina residents

North Carolina’s provisional divorce rate in 2023.

CDC, 2023

3.4

Divorces per 1,000 North Carolina residents

The comparable statewide rate in 2013 was higher.

CDC, 2013

4.2

Divorces per 1,000 North Carolina residents

The statewide rate reported for 2003.

CDC, 2003

5.1

Divorces per 1,000 North Carolina residents

The statewide rate reported for 1990.

CDC, 1990

National context

Marriage and divorce figures across the United States.

672,502

Reported divorces in 2023

The CDC reports this total for 45 reporting states and the District of Columbia.

2.4

Divorces per 1,000 people

The national divorce rate reported for those same 45 states and the District of Columbia in 2023.

2,041,926

Marriages in 2023

The CDC also reports a U.S. marriage rate of 6.1 per 1,000 total population for that year.

CDC FastStats, provisional 2023 data

A North Carolina context

A rate does not tell a client what to do next.

Statistics can provide context, but they cannot account for a family’s finances, children, safety, agreements, or priorities. In North Carolina, an absolute divorce based on separation generally requires spouses to have lived separate and apart for one year, and either spouse must have been a state resident for six months before filing.

That rule is only one part of a family-law matter. A conversation before an important decision can help a client understand the questions that apply to their own circumstances.

Read North Carolina General Statute § 50-6

Sources and methodology

How to cite these figures.

This page compiles public data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and North Carolina law. The rate series uses provisional counts by state of occurrence, includes annulments, and may include divorce petitions filed or legal separations for some jurisdictions. The national divorce total and rate cover 45 reporting states and the District of Columbia, as noted by the CDC.

Suggested citation

Stepp Law Group, PLLC. “North Carolina Divorce Statistics and Facts.” Updated September 30, 2026. Accessed [date].

Stepp Law Group, PLLC

Questions deserve more than a general statistic.

For guidance shaped around your family, finances, and next steps, speak with a Monroe family law attorney.

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