While divorce rates across Florida and the rest of the nation declined in general between 2000 and 2020, the number of older adults deciding to pull the plug on their unions increased during this time. Many older adults who decided to end their marriages cited similar reasons for doing so, and while some people decide to end their marriages after exhausting every option, others only make minimal efforts before making the decision to split.
Psychology Today reports that divorce rates among Americans between the ages of 50 and 70 more than doubled since 1990.
How often Americans are ending their marriages
In 2000, there were 944,000 divorces involving individuals of all ages. In 2020, there were 630,505 American divorces involving individuals of all ages. Interestingly, while the number of older adults divorcing rose sharply between 2000 and 2020, the number of millennials ending their marriages actually declined during this time. Currently, divorce rates among millennials are among the lowest they have ever been.
Why older adults are ending their marriages
Now that many people are living longer lives, many people in unfulfilling marriages are finding that they no longer want to remain in them when they have so much life left to live. Many older adults who divorce say that their partners’ failure to meet their emotional or sexual needs was a factor in ending their marriages. Many also cite emotional or sexual betrayal as reasons for deciding to split.
Older adults considering divorce may want to sit down and have a serious talk with their partners before doing so. Discussing their hopes for the future, and their current level of satisfaction in their marriage may help them decide whether to end the marriage or try to save it.
