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Jan 2, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Therateofmarriedcouplesfilingfordivorcehasbeguntotrenddownwardinrecentyears,buttherateof“graydivorce”—divorcesofcouplesintheir60sorolder—hascontinuedtoclimb.
AJuly2025reportfromtheInstituteforFamilyStudiesfoundthatabout40%oftoday’sfirstmarriageswillendindivorce—muchlessthantheoft-citedestimatesofabout50%.Thisispartlybecausemarriagesaremoreselectiveandsomeyoungerpeoplearewaitinglongertomarryorshunningmarriagealtogether.
Inspiteofthatoveralldownwardtrend,thereportexplainsthatthe40%estimateisbasedontheassumptionthatdivorcerateswillremainstable.Itacknowledgesthoughthat“predictionisnoeasytask,”andiflater-yeardivorceratescontinuetosurge,thenumberofdivorcesmaybehigher.
A2024studybytheNationalCenterforFamilyandMarriageResearchatBowlingGreenStateUniversityfoundthatthedivorcerateamongmarriedcouplesaged65oroldernearlytripledoverthepastthreedecades,fromabout5.2%in1990to15.2%in2022.Divorceamongoldercouplesisfrequentlycalledgra
