Only 30% of first-time marriages end in divorce. However, those who were married previously are statistically more likely to get married and divorced again. Up to 60% of second marriages end in divorce. Therefore, second and third marriages are significantly more likely to end in divorce than first marriages.
According to available Census data, the divorce rate for second marriages in the United States is over 60% compared to around 50% for first marriages.
It has remained at around this percentage in recent years, shifting slightly higher, to 48%, in 2021. The general declining trend is partly due to the rise in divorces of long-term marriages where children are already grown up.
The median amount of time that it takes someone to get married after a divorce is 3.7 years, which has been fairly stable since 1950. Sadly, the average length of time for second marriages ending in divorce will typically just under eight years. Why do you think this is happening?
Divorce Statistics Per State in Australia (2021)
Tas. Mirroring marriage rates, New South Wales and Queensland had the highest numbers of divorces granted. Queensland had the largest crude divorce rate of any state in Australia, averaging 2.6 divorces per 1,000 residents.
1. Domestic Violence or Emotional Abuse. Domestic violence is one of the most leading reasons for divorce in Australia. It is a serious issue that can have a significant impact on the lives of those affected.
1: Bartenders. Two aspects of a bartender's job that could strain a marriage include low pay and the type of hours they often have to work.
Men Are More Likely to Remarry
This data indicates that men are consistently more likely to attempt a second marriage than women. Over the past decade, there has been a decline in remarriage rates for both men and women.
What is second divorce shame? It can mean many things, and each divorce situation is unique, but second divorce shame can include feelings like embarrassment, a sense of failure, and frustration and disappointment that you thought you got it right this time, only to realize you were wrong.
Money, Sex, and In-Laws. The above “big three” issues are the primary problems that plague most first marriages. These same issues also impact subsequent marriages—but even more so. The money problem becomes even more troublesome in second marriages due to child support and spousal maintenance payments.
Women are more likely to initiate separation than men
Thirty per cent of separations were initiated jointly with 70 per cent of separations initiated unilaterally by either the husband or wife.
A study led by the American Sociological Association determined that nearly 70% of divorces are initiated by women.
The average length of a first marriage that ends in divorce is roughly eight years—7.8 years for men, 7.9 for women. Moving into second marriages that end in divorce, the timeline shortens somewhat. In these cases, the median length for men is 7.3 years, while for women it drops to 6.8 years.
Some research suggests that second, third, and subsequent marriages are more likely to end in divorce than first marriages. In some ways, a second divorce may seem easier. You have already been through the process once and know what to expect. Conversely, you may find a second divorce to be more difficult emotionally.
The study found that the primary reason for divorce was lack of commitment, closely followed by infidelity and conflict in the family.
A study by Kingston University in the UK found that despite the negative financial impact of divorce on women, they are generally happier than men after divorce.
The recent Annual Relationship, Marriage, and Divorce Survey conducted by Avvo online marketplace for legal services found that men are more likely to regret breaking up than women. Of the 254 divorced women surveyed, only 27% said they regretted their divorce.
And while media often shows men finding relief after “escaping the bear trap” of a bad marriage, and casts women in a desperate, “washed-up” light, research continues to show that women often report being happier after divorce.
Although many people eventually remarry after divorce, it isn't always an equal split. In fact, men are more likely to remarry within five years of their divorce than women.
Most men and women marry within 5 years of divorce.
The average age for a couple entering their first divorce is 30 years old. And 60% of divorces involve spouses between the ages of 25 and 39. Women are more likely to file for divorce than men. The highest divorce rate is for African-American women aged 50 to 59.
Males are more likely to divorce between the age of 45-49, and females between the age of 40-44.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2019, the median duration of an Australian marriage that ended in divorce was 12.2 years [5]. This figure has increased steadily since 1999 when the average marriage length was 11.3 years.