This study investigated divorce during China’ssocial and economic transformation period from1970 to 2012. Specifically, the study examinedthe trend development of divorce and demonstratedhow marriage formation type and individualsocioeconomic characteristics were associatedwith the likelihood of divorce across time.Event-history analysis was applied to longitudinaldata from the China Family Panel Studies(2010–2012 waves). The results showed a threefoldincrease in divorce from the pre-1990s tothe 1990s. Surprisingly, the trend shifted to aplateau toward the 2000s. When cohabitationwas in its rapidly diffusing stage in the 1990s,individuals who cohabited prior to marriage hada substantially higher likelihood of divorce. Ascohabitation became increasingly common inthe 2000s, its effect on divorce weakened. Therole of socioeconomic characteristics in divorcealso varied across time. This study enriches the knowledge of family dynamics in contemporaryChinese society.