It's just tough to get married when you're very young. Statistical trends do suggest that it's best to wait a few years: Divorce is 50% less likely for someone who is 25 years old when they wed, as compared to someone who gets married at age 20.
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.
Studies have shown that there is a “Goldilocks” zone, between ages 28 and 32, where marriages have the highest chance of success. After 32, the likelihood of your marriage ending in divorce increases by approximately 5% per year.
There's a higher risk of divorce if you marry young.
"If you're a woman, until you reach 24 or 25, your risk of divorce is much, much higher than if you wait to get marriage until 24 or older," says Coontz. "In fact, every year that you delay marriage, right up into your early 30's, decreases your risk of divorce.
There is no best age to get married that applies to everyone. You're never too old for it, and while it's very possible to get married before you're ready, it's often not necessarily because you're too young to marry.
Once a week is a common baseline, experts say. That statistic depends slightly on age: 40- and 50-year-olds tend to fall around that baseline, while 20- to 30-year olds tend to average around twice a week.
A “golden years divorce,” also known as a gray divorce, used to be rare. In fact, the 50+ demographic was once least likely to end their marriage.
Key points. Divorce is 50% less likely for someone who is 25 years old when they wed, compared to 20. A study reveals that getting married after one's mid-30s is actually riskier than getting married in one's late 20s. The best age at which to get married appears to be between 28 and 32, according to research.
While many couples see remarriage as a second chance at happiness, the statistics tell a different story. 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.
Though everyone finds the right time to marry or re-marry according to their own lifestyle, their future spouse and their future plans, Wolfinger's study published by the Institute of Family Studies suggest that couples who wait until between the ages of 28 and 32 are less likely to face divorce in the following years.
While there are countless divorce studies with conflicting statistics, the data points to two periods during a marriage when divorces are most common: years 1 – 2 and years 5 – 8. Of those two high-risk periods, there are two years in particular that stand out as the most common years for divorce — years 7 and 8.
Over the four years, the trends in the median age at first marriage for same-sex marriages were: for men from 43.3 years in 2018 to 38.1 years in 2019 and 35.6 years in 2021; for women from 36.3 years in 2018 to 34.6 years in 2019 and 32.4 years in 2021.
Age-Specific Divorce Rates
Men aged 40 to 44 and 45 to 49 had the most effective divorce rate, with 10.3 divorces per 1,000 men in both age categories. For women, the highest divorce rate was among those aged 40 to 44, with 10.4 divorces per 1,000 women.
The crude divorce rate (divorces per 1,000 Australian residents) was 2.2 divorces per 1,000 residents in 2021, up from 1.9 in 2020. The total number of divorces granted in 2021 was 56,244, the highest number of divorces recorded since 1976.
According to various studies, the 4 most common causes of divorce are lack of commitment, infidelity or extramarital affairs, too much conflict and arguing, and lack of physical intimacy.
Usually, second or third marriages in the United States have a higher divorce rate: 60% of second marriages and about 73% of third marriages end in divorce. Couples going through their first divorce are around the age of 30. Married couples between the ages of 20 to 25 are 60% likely to get a divorce.
Nearly 70 percent of divorces are initiated by the wife. In addition, over 50% of divorced wives never want to remarry while only about 30% of men express that same sentiment. Seeing as most divorces are initiated by women, men can use this statistic to make sure they are being mindful of their wives' needs and wants.
Almost 50 percent of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce or separation. 7. Researchers estimate that 41 percent of all first marriages end in divorce. 8.
Lack of intimacy. If either party doesn't feel satisfied when it comes to physical or emotional intimacy and their partner refuses to try or compromise, they may file for divorce. Less stigma. Today, there is less stigma surrounding divorce, which empowers many older couples (especially women) to file for divorce.
Compared to younger adults, the 50+ group accounts for proportionately more of all divorces in the U.S. Back in 1990, fewer than 1 in 10 people who got divorced were 50 or older. By 2010, the rate was about two and a half times that—1 in every 4 people. What's happening to all those older people after they divorce?
Expectations Change
And it's quite probable that your expectations of your spouse aren't the same. A common cause of divorce amongst people in their 40s is that what they want out of life, and what they want out of their spouse, has changed. But, their spouse hasn't changed.
You're past some of the insecurities you had in your 20s, you've narrowed down your friends to the best ones, your career is likely in a much stronger place, and well, you're happier and more self-sufficient. Dr. Thomas says those who decide to wed in their 30s benefit from emotional maturity.
Among those 18 to 29 years of age, 63% of men versus 34% of women considered themselves single. This dropped to 25% of men and 17% of women for those 30 to 49 years of age.
Americans aren't marrying young anymore. The share of U.S. adults who are married by age 21 sank from about one-third in 1980 to 6 percent in 2021, Pew Research reports. The share who ties the knot by 25 plunged from nearly two-thirds to 22 percent.