There are many different factors that contribute to the likelihood of divorce. For instance, some studies find that couples who have divorced parents are more likely to get divorced themselves. Of course, every relationship is unique, so there are also many marriages that do not follow these trends.
But if you look at the overall statistics, one factor that seems to play a significant role is the couple’s age when they get married. Divorce odds are highest when a couple is very young, such as 18 or 19 years old. They legally can get married, but they have the greatest chances of ending that marriage through divorce.
Divorce odds begin to decline
As couples get older, their odds of divorce start to go down. Every year after 18, they drop by roughly 11%. Just waiting until 21 reduces the odds of divorce marginally, while waiting until 30 reduces them significantly.
At age 32, the divorce odds are lowest, according to these statistical models. But then an interesting thing happens—the odds of divorce start to go back up by about 5% per year. So waiting too long to get married can actually increase the odds of divorce once again.
Going through the divorce process
Of course, there are also young couples who get married and stay together for the rest of their lives, along with couples who get married in their early 30s and still end up getting divorced. As noted, every relationship has its own unique factors. If you and your spouse are splitting up, just take the time to carefully look into all of your legal options.
