Who initiates divorce more? (2023)

Who initiates the divorce most?

In fact, nearly 70 percent of divorces are initiated by women. This is according to a 2015 research study conducted by the American Sociological Association (ASA) which suggests two-thirds of all divorces are initiated by women. Among college-educated women, this number jumps up to 90%.

While there's no argument that everyone endures the pain of divorce in one way or another, many people may be surprised to hear that, according to research, men have a much more difficult time with a split than women.

The most commonly reported major contributors to divorce were lack of commitment, infidelity, and conflict/arguing. The most common “final straw” reasons were infidelity, domestic violence, and substance use.

Abuse. The most serious reason to consider divorce is any persistent pattern of spousal abuse. This certainly encompasses physical abuse, which can place one spouse's life in immediate danger.

In general, men are more likely than women to cheat: 20% of men and 13% of women reported that they've had sex with someone other than their spouse while married, according to data from the recent General Social Survey(GSS). However, as the figure above indicates, this gender gap varies by age.

70% have been the one to end the relationship, while 75% say that they have had a partner end a relationship with them. Women (30%) are more than twice as likely as men (12%) to say, however, that they have never been broken up with.

The study found that on average unhappily married adults who divorced were no happier than unhappily married adults who stayed married when rated on any of 12 separate measures of psychological well-being. Divorce did not typically reduce symptoms of depression, raise self-esteem, or increase a sense of mastery.

Divorce makes men - and particularly fathers - significantly richer. When a father separates from the mother of his children, according to new research, his available income increases by around one third. Women, in contrast, suffer severe financial penalties.

Empathy and social support. While women are up to 69% more likely to initiate divorce than men (31%), they're still more likely to have more support and greater empathy when going through a divorce.

The average length of a marriage in the US is 8.2 years.

Whilst the national average marriage length is just over eight years, couples in New York typically have the longest-lasting unions. The typical marriage in the Empire State lasts for 12.2 years, which is significantly higher than the national average.

When should a marriage end?

Wives are the ones who most often file for divorce at 66 percent on average. That figure has soared to nearly 75 percent in some years.

7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29…) Often, it seems these years correspond with significant transitions and pressure points in marriage. Learning the tools to handle these transitions and pressure points is essential to be satisfied in a relationship long term.

If you think that sexual infidelity is the leading cause of divorce, you've got it all wrong. We polled over 100 YourTango experts to see what they say are the top reasons married couples decide to split, and -- believe it or not -- communication problems came out on top as the number one reason marriages fail.

What percentage of sexless marriages end in divorce? It's not known what percentage of sexless marriages end in divorce, but if the rate is in keeping with the overall divorce rate in America, it would be about 50 percent. Chances are that the percentage of sexless marriages ending in divorce is even higher.

Who is more likely to file for divorce? Men are twice as likely as women to initiate a divorce. The number of older women who are divorcing is increasing. The majority of divorces today result in one parent receiving sole custody of the children.

Gender and Breakup in Heterosexual Couples,” Professor Rosenfeld discovered that there was a difference between married and unmarried heterosexual couples when it came to who initiated the breakup: in cohabitating relationships, women instigated the breakup approximately 56% of the time.

However, research since the 1940s has revealed that among heterosexual couples, women are more responsible for initiating divorce than men and that divorced women are typically happier after ending their marriages (Brining & Allen, 2000; Rosenfeld, 2016).