Divorce Cost Us All Each year about 1.2 million couples divorce in the U.S., costing taxpayers an estimated $30 billion in federal and state expenditures. Each divorce costs society $25,000 to $30,000 because of the increased costs of helping people with housing, food stamps, bankruptcies, problems with youth and other related expenses. Annually $6 billion is lost by business due to lost of productivity stemming from marriage and relationship difficulties. (Marriagecommission.com 3/07)