Study shows contrast in marriage, divorce actions over the years

An interesting study of divorce, marriage and how the two institutions compare across generations reveals a stark contrast in how we view marriage and divorce today. The study looked at people across all ages, and looked at when they were divorced and how long couples remained married.

The specific pieces of data that are interesting come from the most recent set of data (2013) and two earlier sets of data from the 1960 Census and the 1980 Census. Looking at these three pools of data, the study found that there was a higher proportion of people in their 20s that had experienced a divorce in 1960 and 1980 than today.

Of course, there is another side to this data. Today, there are far more people who are at least 40 years old to have experienced a divorce than back in 1960 or 1980.

This study reveals two important facts: in 1960 and 1980, young people were far more likely to end an unfulfilling marriage than they are today. However, if those couples made it past the early years of marriage in 1960 and 1980, then they were more likely to remain married for a long period of time — unlike today.

These types of studies are always interesting, and they give you an interesting look at how society acted and interpreted certain behaviors and actions. But the fact of the matter is that every couple is different, and every case — may it be marriage or divorce — is a little different.

Source: Business Insider, “Here’s when you’re probably going to get divorced,” Andy Kiersz, Feb. 14, 2016