There are many shocking divorce statistics that get tossed around amongst friends in bars and coffee shops, but how many of them are really true? Even accurate divorce statistics don't always give a clear picture of how many people's lives will be touched by divorce. Let's take a look at the truth behind the statistics.
The Overall Divorce Rate
In America, the divorce rate is somewhere between 40 and 50 percent - quite a shocking figure. It would appear to suggest that out of every two couples you know, one will end in divorce. However, this number is a little misleading. Why? Because of the 80/20 Principle. This is an idea that says 80 percent of results will always come from 20 percent of causes. How does that relate to the divorce rate? Well, just because 50 percent of marriages end in divorce does not necessarily mean that 50 percent of people will have a divorce one day. The numbers are skewed because some people will have more than one divorce.
Age of Marriage
Does the age at which you get married make a difference to the likelihood that your marriage will end in divorce? For a young married person you may still be feeling idealistic in this respect, but unfortunately the statistics reflect that younger couples tend to have a higher rate of divorce, with the 20 to 24 year age bracket being the highest - around 35 percent of divorces filed for come from people who married at this age. Note this number reflects the age you were when married. Surprisingly, those who marry before the age of 20 have a lower divorce rate on average than those in the 20-24 bracket.
The Influence of Children
Divorce is always a messy event for children, but kids also play a role in the likelihood of a marriage ending in divorce. Surveys have indicated that couples without children are around 50 percent more likely to divorce than couples without children.
The reason for this is fairly obvious: children are a compelling reason for a couple to stay together and try to work out their differences. The possible emotional impact of a divorce on the children if enough for many people to put their differences aside, at least until the kids are out of home.
Here's another fairly shocking fact that may be enough to put many people off going down the road of divorce: the average divorce settlement takes about a year to go through the court system.
Previous Divorces
As mentioned above, some people account for more than their fair share of divorces. In fact, the best indicator of whether or not a marriage will end in divorce is whether one of both spouses has previously been divorced.
The 45 to 50 percent divorce rate applies to first marriages. For those marrying for the second, third of fourth times, the situation looks even more bleak, with around 65 percent of second marriages not going the distance and between 70 and 75 percent of third marriages failing. However, this must be put in perspective with what was said earlier about the 80/20 Principle - there are a small number of people who repeatedly marry and divorce who make the statistics appear more pessimistic than the actual reality.
Putting Divorce Statistics in Perspective
After seeing statistics like this, it's easy to lose hope about the odds of ever being happily married for long. Indeed, for some people these divorce statistics are enough to put them off marriage altogether, with more people these days opting for alternative relationship arrangements. In fact, statistics have shown that the number of marriages are actually decreasing, despite an increase in the population in America. This may also mean that the divorce statistics will begin to improve as fewer couples rush into marriages which are doomed before they begin.
However, don't be disillusioned by the numbers. Remember that statistics like this make is appear that society as a whole is the same, when in fact there are many personality factors that influence whether or not you will get a divorce. If you believe in yourself and the person you are intending to marry, you can find a way to make it work. Take these statistics as a warning to be particularly careful about who you choose to marry. It may also be wise if you have a lot of valuable assets to consider a prenuptial agreement - as unromantic as it may be, sometimes things just don't go to plan despite your best efforts and intentions.
The Influence of Children