Mail-order brides used to be all the rage, but now they’ve left the front pages and trends. Who are mail-order brides? Do mail-order marriages still exist? And if they do, how many mail-order marriages end in divorce? Today, we’ll share hard facts and statistics to answer all your questions about foreign women who marry Americans. We’re here to put your mind at ease and encourage you to explore international dating options.
General Mail-Order Marriage Statistics
Intermarriage is at an all-time high in the US, and so is international marriage. According to surveys, dating sites remain the most common way of meeting foreign brides among Americans:
- 57% of K-1 applicants met their partners online, while 43% met in person for the first time.
- Between 35% and 60% of K-1 visa applicants use online dating sites and apps to start and develop relationships.
- Between 20% and 39% of international couples meet through social media, and Facebook remains the most popular social platform for dating abroad, where over 80% of couples meet.
- A growing percentage of young international couples meet through online gaming. Most women who meet their American husbands through online gaming are European (40%) and Asian (24%).
- Asia (64%) and Latin America (14%) remain the top dating destinations for region-specific dating sites.
- When it comes to married couples who met on dating sites, over 67% of fiances are Asian, around 12% are Latino, 7.5% are European, and around 5% are African.
- Among married couples who meet on online dating sites, Ukraine, Russia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Venezuela make up the top 5. However, dating sites are also popular among Chinese, Thai, Peruvian, Brazilian, and Vietnamese mail-order brides.
These numbers prove that online dating and mail order bride sites are the most effective tools for international marriage, even if social media and online gaming are gaining ground. Whether you wish to meet Slavic girls, Asians, or Latinas, niche platforms offer the highest chance of finding compatible partners.
Mail-Order Bride Countries Statistics
Based on the number of K-1 fiance visas issued by the US in 2023, the top 10 most popular international dating destinations include:
- The Philippines — 2,747 K-1 visas
- Mexico — 1696
- Colombia — 850
- Dominican Republic — 749
- Vietnam — 610
- Brazil — 657
- Cuba — 654
- India — 497
- Haiti — 474
- Nigeria — 463
The United Kingdom, Russia, Ukraine, China, Thailand, Peru, and Venezuela deserve honorable mention.
Mail-Order Bride Success Rate
Unfortunately, there’s limited data on mail-order marriage statistics and divorce rates since most researchers focus on cultural and monetary aspects of international relationships. Still, we managed to find some numbers and compare them with the US averages.
How Many Mail-Order Marriages End in Divorce?
Studies show that around 41% of first-time marriages in the US end in divorce. The percentage is much higher for second (60%) and third marriages (73%). Although fewer Americans remarry now than they used to before, around 40% of new marriages include a divorced partner. The average marriage duration before dissolution is around eight years.
At the same time, research shows that the average divorce rate for mail-order marriages is between 35.8% and 41.3%. It may seem just as bad as the US average, but there are caveats. For example, for most Americans, mail-order marriage isn’t the first. Therefore, the divorce rate of around 40% is much lower than the 60% to 73% typical for second and third marriages.
Even in the unlikely case your mail-order marriage ends in divorce, it’s not the end of the world, as you can put your international dating experience to good use and look for another foreign partner.
Portrait of a Mail-Order Bride
To give you a better idea of what you can expect from a mail-order marriage, let’s paint a portrait of an average foreign bride based on survey results:
- An average mail-order bride is 30 to 33 years old. However, a lot of mail-order site users are under 30.
- The average age of American men marrying foreign women is between 44 and 47, which means the median age difference is around 11 to 12 years.
- Most mail-order brides are single, though around 30% are divorced and have one or more children.
- Over 75% of women using mail-order sites to marry Americans have college or advanced degrees.
- Their English proficiency varies from moderate to very high, depending on the country and education level.
Remember, these are average numbers. Your dating site experience can drastically differ from survey results. For example, you are just as likely to meet mail-order brides in their fifties as you are to connect with thirty-somethings.
Why Are Mail-Order Bride Marriages So Successful?
Studies show that multiple factors affect marriage survival, including having children, education, and income level. For instance, physicians, nurses, and engineers have some of the lowest divorce rates, while lifeguards and ushers have some of the highest. Unemployed people get divorced more often than employed.
Higher education levels usually mean a lower divorce rate. For example, the likelihood of divorce drops from 35% to 25% for people with advanced degrees compared to those who only graduated from high school.
Race also affects the mail-order bride statistics. For instance, Asians have the lowest divorce rates, followed by Latinas. They tend to be highly religious and frown upon unsuccessful marriages, especially if you have children. Moreover, family and social ties are critical for Asians and Latinas, so they will fight harder to preserve marriage to avoid social stigma. Native Americans and Blacks have the highest divorce rates on average.
Conclusion
Mail-order marriage statistics demonstrate that international marriages are gaining popularity in the US, alongside intermarriage. Asian and Latina girls remain the most popular among foreign brides, and most of them leverage online dating tools and social media to find their future American spouses.
At the same time, divorce among international couples is less likely than the US average, even if it’s not your first marriage. So, if you’ve been putting off international dating for fear of disappointment and divorce, this is your sign that you should give it a good old college try.
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