As important as home and family were during the 1950s, failed marriages were becoming more prominent. The annual number of marriages actually declined over the course of the decade, as the wave of marriages following World War II began to subside. There were 1.66 million marriages, in 1950 and 1.52 million in 1960. At the same time the divorce rate rose slightly, from 385,000 in 1950 to 393,000 in 1960. In 1950, 1 in every 4.3 marriages failed, and by the end of the decade that ratio had changed to 1 in every 3.8. In other words, despite the emphasis on domestic life that characterized the decade, the institution of marriage actually lost ground. One reason for the higher divorce rate was the successful economy, which made it possible for more women to consider leaving their husbands.