14 Research-Backed Factors That Can Predict If A Couple Will Get A Divorce
Know if you will break up before you even walk down the aisle.
Getty Images | Unsplash Researchers love to take a look at peoples’ habits and what they can predict, and when it comes to love, nothing is more studied than divorce. That means the researchers have found a lot of indications to help you figure out the likelihood of divorce from your spouse.
Here are some of the more surprising factors that statistically predict if a couple will divorce or not.
Here are the factors that can predict if a couple will divorce or not:
1. If you spend over $20,000 on your wedding, you’re more likely to divorce
It’s true, and to a point, it makes sense. People who go Bridezilla on planning weddings forget that it’s not just a party that you’re celebrating — it’s the start of your life together. Cheaper weddings often suggest more financially wise choices, which makes for a more stable marriage.
2. If your spouse has an online affair, you’re more likely to divorce
What’s scary about this is that 54 percent of guys don’t consider this to be cheating. So, this might be a big indicator.
3. If you make under $25,000 per year, you’re more likely to divorce
Studies from the Family Relations Journal showed the chance of divorce decreases with the amount of money you make. This could be because you will lose a lot more if you divorce while rich.
4. If you worship regularly, you’re more likely to stay together
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Can I get an amen? A study in the PLUS One Journal showed that only attending “sometimes” won’t help your chances of avoiding divorce court.
5. If you or your spouse value money or looks the most, you’re more likely to divorce
Meanwhile, spouses who valued things like personality and loyalty were less likely to file for divorce. (Hmm, imagine that, guys!)
6. If one partner smokes, you’re more likely to divorce
Research in the Psychology of Addictive Behaviors suggests if neither of you smoke or both of you smoke, your chances of divorce go down. This may be a good reason to quit smoking, regardless.
7. If you get a college degree, you’re more likely to divorce
The highest divorce rates are among couples who only have a high school education, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
8. If one or both partners have a commute longer than 45 minutes, you’re more likely to divorce
This might be because they spend less time with their spouse or because the tedium of commuting may put them in a foul mood when they come home.
9. If your parents got divorced, you’re more likely to divorce
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Studies in Linacre Quarterly showed If your parents remarried after divorce, the chances bump up to 91 percent more likely than your non-divorce-child counterparts.
10. If you have kids, you’re more likely to stay together
No one wants to lose time with their kids, as explored by studies in the Demography Journal.
11. If you invite more people to your wedding, you’re more likely to stay together
Meanwhile, if you and your hubs were the only ones, you’re way more likely to end up in court.
12. If this is your second marriage, you’re more likely to divorce
Third marriages are even worse statstically, with roughly 3 out of 4 ending in divorce.
13. If you are married between the ages of 18 to 25, you’re more likely to divorce
However, if your first marriage happened after age 35, chances are extremely high that you will end up staying together.
Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer whose work has been featured in Yahoo, BRIDES, Your Daily Dish, Newtheory Magazine, and others.