More opposite-sex couples divorcing after 20 years of marriage

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 18 Oct, 15:19 · Archive

More than a quarter of heterosexual divorces in England and Wales last year followed 20 or more years of marriage.

According to Office for National Statistics data, 26% of the 102,879 heterosexual divorces in England and Wales last year involved couples who had been married for 20 years or more. This represents 27,180 couples and marks a shift from the long-established pattern where the largest proportion of divorces occurred after five to nine years of marriage—the so-called 'seven-year itch'.

Experts have pointed to several factors for the change. Professor Emma Hitchings of Bristol University, who led a national study into the financial arrangements of divorcing couples, said the trend reflects a move 'away from the seven-year itch to the longer itch', noting that 'the cost of getting a divorce itself' may be a factor keeping couples together longer. Lisa Pepper, a divorce lawyer at Osbornes Law, told The Sunday Times that 'the largest percentage of cases I see are after a long marriage', and suggested that 'staying together for the sake of the children is true'.

The Mirror reports that this trend has also been seen in America and Japan, where it has been dubbed the 'grey divorce'. The pattern reflects a shift in how and when marriages end, with couples increasingly enduring longer before choosing to separate.

How it is being reported

• More couples getting divorced after over 20 years of marriage, new figures showMore divorces are happening after decades of marriage as the couples get through the 'seven year itch' but face hefty costs if they do want to end their marriageThe Mirror · 18 Oct, 14:58
• Forget the seven-year itch: opposite-sex marriages more likely to end after two decadesONS data for England and Wales shows 26% of heterosexual divorces in 2025 followed 20 years or more of marriage Most couples are aware of the dreaded “seven-year itch”, when the honeymoon period wears off and real life starts to bite. Now official data has shown that couples in England and Wales are more likely to split after 20 years. According to Office for National Statistics figures, more than a quarter of all divorces between opposite-sex couples happened after 20 years or longer of marriage. Continue reading...The Guardian · 18 Oct, 14:29

In this story: England and Wales · Office for National Statistics · Bristol University · Emma Hitchings · Lisa Pepper · Osbornes Law

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