Marriage Calculator figures divorce odds

PHILADELPHIA , Nov. 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. divorce rate has been dropping and some couples have much better odds than the often-quoted 50-50 chance of wedded bliss, researchers say.

Betsey Stevenson of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School said the divorce rate has been falling in the United States since 1979. And, she said, the rate can vary widely according to demographics.

"For many of these folks, their divorce rates so far have fallen substantially compared with previous generations," Stevenson said in a statement without providing any new divorce rate figures. "Different types of people face different divorce rates historically."

Your chances of divorce lessen the more education you have and increase the younger you marry, Stevenson explained.

Stevenson -- in partnership with divorce360.com -- developed The Marriage Calculator that lets people see how the incidence of divorce evolves throughout the life of a marriage.

The calculator uses data from the U.S. Census bureau to allow users to compare themselves to others who married about the same time period, have a similar education and have been married as long as you. With the marriage calculator, you can find out how many people with similar backgrounds have divorced. In addition, it estimates how many people like you are likely to get divorced in the next five years.

The calulator is at http://www.divorce360.com/content/divorcecalculator.aspx.