It’s often said that young marriages are more likely to result in divorce, and this is true. That’s not to say that it happens to all couples. Some couples get married at 18 or 19 and stay married for the rest of their lives. But it is clear that these young marriages have some of the highest divorce rates.
As marriage age goes up, the divorce rate drops by about 11% every year. In other words, someone considering marriage at 18 may have a much more stable relationship if they just waited until they were 20. But if they put marriage off until 25 or later, their odds of divorce could drop even further. There has certainly been a modern trend of couples delaying marriage until a later age than in previous generations.
The rate does go back up again
One thing to remember, though, is that the rate doesn’t continually drop after 18. It only declines until around age 32. After that, it starts climbing again. For those getting married after 32, the divorce rate increases by 5% every year.
There are likely many different factors that contribute to this. For instance, a marriage later in life may actually be a second marriage, bringing together blended families from previous relationships. That can introduce a lot more tension and stressors. While it does work out for some couples, it could increase the prevalence of divorce at this age.
As you can see, many different factors influence divorce for a wide variety of couples. If you and your partner are moving toward divorce this year, take the time to carefully look into all of your options while dividing custody, splitting up assets and more.
