Divorce odds are not the same for everyone. A wide range of factors can play a role, and one of them is age. This can impact divorce odds in two key ways.
First and foremost, you must consider the age at which you get married. Researchers have found that divorce rates are higher for younger marriages. For instance, someone who gets married at 32 years old statistically has the lowest odds of getting divorced in the future. But for every year prior to age 32, their divorce odds increase by 11%. For every year after 32, the odds also increase, but only by 5%.
In other words, people are often cautioned against getting married at a very young age, but they do not necessarily want to wait too long, either.
The rise of gray divorce
On top of that, gray divorce cases involve older couples. Some studies have found that divorce rates are generally trending downward for couples who are 45 years old and younger, while those who are over 45 have experienced increasing divorce rates.
The most dramatic increase over the last few decades has been among those who are at least 65 years old. Since the 1990s, their divorce rate has roughly tripled.
Navigating a divorce
Age is certainly just one factor to consider when it comes to divorce, but it helps illustrate the different ways it can affect the likelihood of a marriage ending. If you and your spouse do decide to divorce, be sure you know what legal rights you have when it comes to child custody, property division and more.