Have you ever wondered about the ideal age to get married? Statisticians have also considered this, from the perspective of divorce rates. When they looked at it, what they found was that the ideal age for marriage was 32.
Essentially, this was just the age for a first marriage where the odds of divorce were the lowest. Prior to 32, for every year younger someone was when tying the knot, the odds that they would get divorced were a few percentage points higher. This decline continued all the way until 32 years old, but then the trend reversed course, and the percentages started going up again. So, from a stability standpoint, the best option is to get married at 32 exactly.
Why does this happen?
There are a lot of reasons for both of these trends. For young couples, some of the issues are financial, as those who get married very young may have trouble supporting themselves. You also have to consider brain development, which isn’t finished until around 25 years old. Couples will often grow up and slowly start to drift apart. But this may not happen in the same way for those who get married in their 30s, because they are already fully developed at the time that they tie the knot.
For older couples, a big reason for the increase is just that gray divorce is on the rise overall. More and more couples over 50 years old are deciding to split up. This is in part because of the changing stigmas around divorce, and it may also have to do with increased life expectancy.
Are you getting divorced?
Needless to say, most people do not get married at exactly 32 years old, and divorce is always a potential outcome. If you and your spouse do end up moving in this direction, be sure you know what legal steps to take to make sure that you protect your future.