This Specific Age Gap Makes Divorce Much More Likely, According To Research
Should an age gap define a relationship? Science says yes.
Nikolas Nikolic | Unsplash My husband is 11 years older than me. It never really crosses my mind, because I think when you get to a certain age, most of us are on the same page ... and I'm way more mature.
If he were 30 years older, it might be tricky, because of the generational gap and him being older than my parents, but at just 11 years older, I think it's okay. But research, however, doesn't agree.
According to research, an age gap of twenty years or more makes divorce much more likely.
Dmytro Zinkevych / Shutterstock
A 2014 study has found that, in addition to many other factors, the key to a successful marriage is marrying someone close to your age.
The study polled over 3,000 married and divorced Americans to examine what are the major contributions to the success of a marriage. What was discovered was that age difference was one of the common denominators in determining whether or not a marriage would end in divorce.
A 2021 study also revealed the importance of open and honest communication, which is crucial for building and maintaining a strong relationship. Good communication helps partners understand each other's needs, resolve conflicts, and stay connected.
Those with only a one-year difference in age were 3 percent more likely to divorce than those who were the same age; whereas a five-year age difference resulted in couples being 18 percent more likely to call it quits. As for my husband and I? We're at just over a 39 percent likelihood of divorcing because we're slightly above the 10-year difference.
Those couples that don't seem to have any hope for the future are the ones with a 20-year age difference .
Couples with a 20-year age difference have a 95 percent likelihood of splitsville — yikes!), and a 30-year age difference who have — wait for it — a 172 percent more likely to divorce.
What's even the point of getting hitched to someone that much older with those sorts of statistics? It's practically a guarantee that things will never, ever work out, and every cent you spend on your wedding will be a waste, and every bit of effort you put into your relationship will just be in vain! Or will it?
As the study also pointed out, statistics are not destiny. We can never tell what the future holds, and when we look at Harold and Maude, if she hadn't killed herself at the end of the movie, those two crazy kids, with their 50+ age difference, could have had something special until the end of time. It takes a rare breed to bond over funerals, death, and stealing cars.
As I've stated time and time again, studies give us something to ponder and even inject into our lives, but if we steer away from the possibility of happiness, then we condemn ourselves to misery.
Age is but a number; this is a very true statement. If we allow an age difference to dictate to the heart, then we're not getting the whole love experience…says the girl who has a 39 percent likelihood of divorce.
Amanda Chatel has been a wellness and relationship journalist for over a decade. Her work has been featured in Glamour, Shape, Self, and other outlets.
