In comparison to the rest of the world, the remarriage rate in the United States is

• A. One of the lowest.
• B. Among the highest.
• C. Third highest, after France and Sweden.
• D. Very low, since most couples cohabit.

Answer: (B)

Remarriage rate reflects how often people who have been married before enter a new marriage. In the United States, the combination of a relatively high divorce rate and broad social acceptance of remarriage over recent decades has produced a remarriage rate that is among the highest when looked at globally. Factors supporting this include the permissive attitudes toward divorce and remarriage, plus economic conditions that make it feasible for many adults to remarry after separation. In contrast, some countries have stronger religious or cultural constraints or different legal/economic contexts that keep remarriage rates lower. The idea that the United States would be very low because most couples cohabit isn’t accurate; cohabitation doesn’t prevent remarriage, and many who cohabit either do marry later or may not remarry, but overall the U.S. pattern has been comparatively high.