The evidence does not support the claim. Recent peer-reviewed studies and U.S. data generally find that divorce rates decline or are postponed during economic downturns, even if financial stress harms marriages. The claim confuses increased marital strain with increased divorce and omits the well-documented fact that recessions often make separation harder to afford.
Caveats
Do not infer population-level divorce rates from family stress alone; stress can rise while divorces fall.
Older or selective studies are outweighed by more recent macro evidence showing divorce is often pro-cyclical, not recession-driven upward.
Observed divorces can drop during downturns because legal fees, housing costs, and asset division make separation less feasible.