DIVORCE FOR WOMEN AFTER MIDLIFE

In spite of widespread interest in both aging and divorce, relatively little research has joined these topics. This study used data from the U.S. Census, Vital Statistics, and Current Population Survey to determine current divorce patterns for women aged 40+, project marriage and divorce experiences of future cohorts of elderly women, and consider the socioeconomic correlates of divorce for middle-aged and older women. Given current marriage, divorce, and widowhood rates, the findings indicate a marked decline in the proportion of future elderly women who will be married or widowed, and a dramatic increase in the proportion who will be divorced. Further, the data show that the socioeconomic well-being of divorcees is significantly below that of widowed or married women.