According to
this 7 News article divorce is on the decline,
“In
2023, 48,700 divorces were granted in Australia, down 1.1 per cent from 2022,
according to the latest figures available from The Australian Bureau of Statistics.
In
the same year, the median duration of marriages slightly increased to 13 years,
from 12.8 years in 2022.”[1]
This is good
news, other research notes the same thing. In fact, divorce rates are at their
lowest in the last 50 years.
“DIVORCE
rates are at their lowest level since the mid-1970s, according to a new report
by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS), drawing on data from the
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
In
2023 there were 2.3 divorces per 1,000 residents aged 16 and over, which
continues the downward trend since the start of the millennium, when divorce
rates were at 3.4 per 1,000 adult residents.”[2]
But it is not
all good news,
“Dr
Qu said the decline in divorce does not necessarily indicate longer lasting
relationships than used to be the case.
“In
2023, 83 percent of couples had been living together before marriage, compared
to just 16% in 1975.
“Many
couples separate without entering into marriage, which is not captured in the
divorce statistics,” Dr Qu said.”[3]
So, less
people are getting divorced, but less people are also getting married. However,
what I find interesting is that the average age of divorce is increasing. This
is because the boomer generation still continue to get divorced, even later in
life.
“One
of the more common trends we are seeing in the legal community is a growing
percentage of older couples, typically over 50, choosing to divorce – also
known as grey divorce. These divorces often involve couples who have been
married for several decades and may have grown-up children or grandchildren.
Grey
divorcees face unique challenges, including financial implications related to
retirement savings and asset division and emotional adjustments to starting a
new chapter of life later in adulthood.”[4]
Older people
are getting divorced in higher and higher numbers. This probably should not
surprise us because the Boomer generation created the modern divorce trends we
now see.
No fault
divorce became prominent in the Boomer’s era,
“You
could divorce simply because you wanted out of a marriage. This holds true
today. Baby Boomers continue to divorce more than any other age group. In the
years between 1990 and 2012, the divorce rate for people 55-64 doubled. For
those older than 65, that number more than tripled.”[5]
But this is
also happening because second marriages are much more likely to end in divorce,
“Worldwide
statistics indicate that second marriages are more likely to dissolve than
first marriages. This might be attributed to various complex factors, including
previous relationship experiences, blended family challenges, and differing
expectations. From our research, about 60% of second marriages end in divorce
compared to 30% of first marriages, which is quite a significant jump.”[6]
People are
still most likely to get divorced in their forties, “The median age at divorce
has increased to 47 for men, and 44 for women.” But at the rate Boomers are getting
divorced, they may push this number higher over time.
What would
possess someone in their 60’s or 70’s to get divorced? Well, the Boomer
generation were not called the ‘Me Generation’ for no reason. You would think
that by the time you were that age you had settled all your major differences
and that you were ready to invest in your children and grandchildren’s lives.
But the Boomer generation continues to show us that chasing after personal
pleasure is still their generation’s highest goal. It is remarkable, isn’t it.
List of
References
when there are no marriages divorce rate goes to zero
ReplyDelete