January 1, 2025
Why People Divorce?
The Forbes Advisor October 16, 2024 article “Revealing Divorce Statistics in 2024” reports the numbers regarding a multitude of divorce related issues. Written by Christy Bieber, JD., the piece covers topics as diverse as which states have the highest and lowest divorce rates and the likelihood of divorce depending on your professor. Here’s what Forbes reports about the reasons people choose to end their marriages:
Most Common Reasons for Divorce
Couples report many different reasons for ending a marital relationship. Usually there are multiple reasons for the demise of a marriage. These are the most common explanations cited by divorcing couples.
Lack of Commitment Is the Most Common Reason for Divorce
Marriage is not always easy, so success requires both spouses to be dedicated to their union and serious about making it last. That’s why it is not surprising that a lack of commitment could spell disaster for a couple. In fact, 75% of individuals and couples cited lack of commitment as the reason for their divorce. This was the most common cause of a marriage ending, exceeding even infidelity.
60% of Divorced Couples Cited Infidelity as a Reason for Their Divorce
Infidelity is another leading cause of divorce, with 60% of couples citing a partner’s unfaithfulness as a reason their union ended. When a marriage is supposed to be monogamous, and one party fails to fulfill this obligation, trust can be lost, and the marriage may be irretrievably broken.
Domestic Abuse Prompts a Divorce in 24% of Cases
Domestic abuse is a serious crime. It is also common among couples who are divorcing. Nearly a quarter of divorces—24% in total—cite domestic abuse as a cause of divorce.
The “Final Straw” Causing Divorce Is Most Commonly Infidelity, Domestic Violence or Substance Abuse
Often, there is not just one factor resulting in a marriage ending. Couples may face many problems, as these divorce statistics show.
But, even when there are a variety of issues, people who dissolve their unions usually report there is one “final straw” or tipping point that pushes them over the edge and causes them to make the final decision to divorce. In fact, 69% of divorcing couples report this is the case.
When there was a final straw, infidelity was the most common issue that ultimately prompted divorce, with 24% of couples reporting this as their final straw. Domestic violence was the ultimate cause of divorce for 21% of couples, and 12% said substance abuse was the deciding issue.
Interestingly, couples often disagree on the final straw that led to their marriage’s end. In fact, not a single couple reported the same deciding issue as the ultimate reason for the end of their marriage
Basic Incompatibility and Money Issues Are Among the Top Reasons for Divorce
Couples divorce for many other reasons as well. Other than a lack of commitment or infidelity, here are three of the top causes of divorce.[15,16]
- 58% of couples report arguing and excess conflict.
- 45% of divorcing couples indicate they married too young.
- 38% report financial problems as a divorce cause.
Over 70% of Couples Report not Understanding the Realities or Stages of Marriage
A lack of knowledge about what marriage entails is one of the leading contributing factors to divorce. In fact, 72% of couples reported they didn’t fully understand the commitment involved in marriage before they tied the knot. Many divorced people said they were surprised their partner changed over their marriage and were unable to cope with new problems that arose over time personally.
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