The Dreaded "D" Word

A few interesting/sad statistics about divorce. Just remember, you do not have to be included in the status quo!

Here at Nurturing Marriage we BELIEVE in your marriage, and we know that nurturing your marriage will help you avoid adding to the statistics below.

Divorce

• The probability of a first marriage ending in a divorce within 5 years is 20%, but the probability of a premarital cohabitation breaking up within 5 years is 49%. After 10 years, the probability of a first marriage ending is 33%, compared with 62% for cohabitations.1

• In the United States, over 50% of first marriages end in divorce, 67% of second marriages end in divorce, and nearly 74% of third marriages end in divorce.1

• A New Woman’s Day and AOL Living poll found that 72% of women surveyed have considered leaving their husbands at some point.1

• The cost of an average wedding is $20,000. The cost of an average divorce is $20,000.1

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• Over 75% of people who marry partners from an affair eventually divorce.2

• Researchers found a huge decline in happiness four years into a marriage with another decline in years seven to eight. In fact, half of all divorces occur in the first seven years of marriage, which gives rise to the popular term “the seven-year itch.”3

• No sex in a marriage has a much more powerful negative impact on a marriage than good sex has a positive impact.3

• Nearly 60% of married adults have had at least one affair.4

• Research points to certain characteristics that are most often linked to infidelity, such as being raised in a family where having affairs is considered normal, having a personality that values excitement and risk taking over marital stability, having coworkers and friends who believe affairs are acceptable, and feeling emotionally distant from one’s spouse.5

1. Harrar, Sari and Rita DeMaria. 2007. The 7 Stages of Marriage: Laughter, Intimacy, and Passion. Pleasantville, NY: Reader’s Digest Books.
2. Hein, Holly. Sexual Detours: Infidelity and Intimacy at the Crossroads. 2000. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.
3. Gottman, John M. and Julie Schwartz Gottman. 2006. 10 Lessons to Transform Your Marriage. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press.
4. Harrar, Sari and Rita DeMaria. 2007. The 7 Stages of Marriage: Laughter, Intimacy, and Passion. Pleasantville, NY: Reader’s Digest Books.
5. Neal, Rome. “Signs of Divorce Ahead?: New Study Tries to Predict Which Marriages Will Last.” CBSNEWS.com. August 7, 2002. Accessed: October 29, 2009.

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