Not growing old together

Divorces in England and Wales on the rise

THE average age of divorce in England and Wales is higher than it has ever been. New data from the Office of National Statistics show that opposite-sex couples were 47.7 years old on average when they got divorced in 2019.

This is the highest mean age since records began in 1963, and is much higher than the lowest ages on record which were 37.6 years in 1980 and 1970.

The number of divorces of opposite-sex couples in 2019 was 107,599, an increase of 18 per cent from the previous year.

This is around 8.9 divorces per 1,000 people, an increase from 7.5 per 1,000 in 2018.

The ONS puts this largely down to a backlog of paperwork being filed in that year, giving the impression of higher numbers. Experts have also pointed out that the number of divorces had been steadily decreasing over the decades up until that point, and said they were hopeful of a return to that trend.

In the majority of cases in 2019 (66,986), the petition for divorce was made or granted to the wife. This is a trend that stays true for all data after the 1940s. “Unreasonable behaviour” was the most common reason for opposite-sex couples divorcing in 2019 with 49 per cent of wives and 35 per cent of husbands petitioning on these grounds.

This category includes physical violence or verbal abuse, or other behaviour that would make it unreasonable to expect someone to remain living with their partner. In 2019, the average duration of marriage at the time of divorce was 12.3 years for opposite-sex couples, a small decrease from 12.5 years in the previous year.

Among same-sex couples, there were 822 divorces in 2019, nearly twice the number in 2018 (428). Of these, nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) were between female couples. “Unreasonable behaviour” was also the most common reason for same-sex couples divorcing, accounting for 63 per cent of divorces among women and 70 per cent among men.

Aidan Jones, chief executive at relationships charity Relate, said: “While the rise in divorces since 2018 seems stark, the ONS’ explanation that this is partly due to a backlog of divorces being processed stands to reason.

“In the case of same-sex couples, an increasing number have been able to get married since the law changed in 2013, so over time as the number of marriages rise, it makes sense that in turn so will the number of divorces.

“We are hopeful that the pre2019 downward trend in divorces will continue next year. “Ensuring that vital relationship support is available to everyone who needs it will be key to this, helping people to assess their relationship and work out what is best for them and their family.” Mr Jones also addressed the question of what effect the Covid19 pandemic will have on 2020 rates.

He commented that some relationships have come under greater pressure than ever this year, and that staying at home has brought existing issues to the surface.