The New Average Divorce Rate By Age: Are You in the Risk Zone?

While the overall divorce rate has seen a small but steady decline, gray divorces have been on the rise since the 1990s. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. For decades, the narrative around divorce was centered on young couples — hasty decisions, new parenthood and financial instability. Today, that story has fundamentally changed. While divorce rates for those under 45 have been steadily declining, a quieter, more profound demographic shift has occurred: the dramatic rise of "gray divorce."The rate of gray divorce, divorces among adults aged 50 and older, has more than doubled since 1990, making older adulthood the only demographic experiencing a surge in marital dissolution.“Some possible reasons for gray divorce are because of our increased longevity. People are less willing to endure unhappy marriages for so long and are more optimistic that they will find another partner," said Rosie Shrout, former assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Science.Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special IssuesProfit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.The distribution of divorce rates by age in the U.S. demonstrates a striking divergence in trends between younger and older adults. While the overall U.S. divorce rate has declined in recent decades, this is largely due to lower rates among younger age groups, a shift that masks a significant increase in divorce among older adults.Age GroupRate in 1990Rate in 2021Trend15-2447.2%19.7%Sharp decline25-3430.0%23.0%Decline45-5414.5%16.0%Slight increase55-645.5%11.5%Doubled 65+1.8%5.5%Tripled“Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence. Second marriage is the triumph of hope over experience.” —Oscar Wilde Most adults who have divorced (66%) have gone on to remarry, according to Pew Research.As you can see by the statistics, the stability of a marriage is also influenced by whether it is a first or subsequent marriage: Historically, the youngest age groups (15-24 and 25-34) have the highest actual divorce rates, but they have also seen the most dramatic reduction in those rates. Divorce rates among the youngest age group — those under 40 — have seen a significant decline since the peak years of the 1980s and 1990s.Reasons for the decline: The divorce rate for Americans aged 50 and older has surged — a phenomenon known as "gray divorce." This is the only age group in which the divorce rate has consistently increased over time.The rate of divorce among adults aged 50 and older more than doubled between 1990 and 2010. While the rate has leveled off somewhat in recent years, it remains at historically high levels. The age group with the most significant percentage increase is 65 and older, where the divorce rate has nearly tripled since 1990.In 1990, less than 1 in 10 people getting divorced was aged 50 or older. Today, over one-third (around 36%) of all U.S. divorces involve individuals aged 50 and older.Factors driving gray divorce:The Institute for Family Studies points to a historical factor that sometimes goes unmentioned. "When we look at heightened divorce rates among older Americans, we are seeing, in part, the long tail of the 20th-century upheaval. The stability of new marriages suggests this revolution is over."The study notes that when gray divorce is analyzed today, it is the marriages formed during the turbulent years of the divorce revolution that are often being observed. "Consider that over half of married adults over the age of 60 wedded in the 1970s and 1980s."More than 60% of gray divorces are initiated by women, according to a 2015 study, The Graying of Divorce: A Half Century of Change. Yet, women 50 and older experience a 45% decline in their standard of living; for men, it’s only a 21% decline."For the folks we work with, mostly baby boomers, mostly women, it must be emotionally driven because the math doesn’t work. I think specifically for the baby boomers, it’s the combination of the stigma dissipating as well as the kids being independent," Evan T Beach, President of Exit 59 Advisory, told Kiplinger. He said that "....even with the more difficult financial situation, I’m yet to meet someone who regrets it. The financial issues, within reason, are easier to solve than the marriage ones."We curate the most important retirement news, tips and lifestyle hacks so you don’t have to. Subscribe to our free, twice-weekly newsletter, Retirement Tips.Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.Donna joined Kiplinger as a personal finance writer in 2023. She spent more than a decade as the contributing editor of J.K.Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide and edited state specific legal treatises at ALM Media. 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