FAQs
Among college-educated couples, the percentage of divorces initiated by wives is a whopping 90 percent. There's one slight issue with this statement: women tend to initiate divorce more than men in all relationships outside of even college-educated couples. In the US, it ranges between 65-70% in a given year.
Are 90% of divorces initiated by women? ›
While the stereotype is that women are the ones who want to get married, the truth is that they are one who want to get divorced when things aren't going right. In fact, studies show that 70% of divorces are initiated by women. When accounting for just college-educated women, that figure jumps up to 90%.
What percent of divorces are caused by women? ›
Divorce Rate by Gender
When it comes to men and women, there's a clear answer as to who is filing for divorce more often. Nearly 70 percent of divorces are initiated by the wife. In addition, over 50% of divorced wives never want to remarry while only about 30% of men express that same sentiment.
What percentage of college educated women get divorced? ›
The Census Bureau reported the divorce rate for individuals with some college education as 36.3%, while the divorce rate for those with an associate's degree was 30.1% This further supports the correlation between higher education levels and lower divorce rates.
Are 80% of divorces filed by the wife study? ›
A popular statistic that gets thrown around is that 80 percent of divorces are initiated by the woman. The figure appears to have come from Michael Rosenfeld's study — Who wants the Breakup? Gender and Breakup in Heterosexual Couples — which the majority of those who use the figure link to as their source.
Who initiates 70% of divorces in the US? ›
A study by M. Rosenfeld from Stanford University discovered that women started almost 69% of all divorces among about 2,000 surveyed couples. However, in contrast, in unmarried relationships, there wasn't a significant difference in whether women or men chose to end the relationship.
Why do women get 50 percent in divorce? ›
Unlike other states that award assets and property to the party that paid for it, California considers any assets obtained while married as shared because they both contributed as a married couple. That means any assets or debts attained while a couple was married must be split fairly as part of the divorce.
What is the #1 cause divorce? ›
Lack of commitment is the most common reason given by divorcing couples according to a recent national survey. Here are the reasons given and their percentages: Lack of commitment 73% Argue too much 56%
Why do more women initiate divorce? ›
Women often report feeling emotionally unsupported in their marriages, citing a lack of meaningful communication, emotional intimacy, and shared responsibilities. When these emotional needs are not met, women may feel that divorce is the only option to find the emotional fulfilment they crave.
Which gender is more loyal in a relationship? ›
According to the General Social Survey, men are more likely to cheat than women, with 20% of men and 13% of women reporting having sex with someone other than their partner while still married. However, the gender gap varies per age.
- Currently married Whites had the highest median duration of marriage at 22 years.
- The pattern of duration among the other racial/ethnic groups examined are distinct from Whites. The median duration among Asians was 17 years and even lower among Blacks, Hispanics, and Others.
What country has the highest divorce rate? ›
Snapshot
- The Maldives, with a divorce rate of 5.52 per 1000 people, leads the world in divorces, partly due to cultural factors and women's empowerment.
- COVID-19 pandemic led to a global decrease in both marriage and divorce rates, with notable drops in countries like Slovenia and Hungary.
Who benefits from marriage more? ›
Who Benefits from Marriage? The research seems clear that even if marriage benefits both men and women, there is more of an upside for men. Men derive greater health benefits from marriage than women. Married fathers receive an earnings boost while mothers receive a penalty.
Who usually breaks up a relationship? ›
Reports suggest that women are more likely to end dating relationships. It also shows that even if it is men who break up, women are more likely to have anticipated the breakup already.
Why don't men file for divorce? ›
While divorce is a deeply individual decision, the statistics indicate that women file for divorce more frequently than men. Factors such as traditional gender roles, fear of financial consequences, emotional stigma, and a focus on children contribute to this gender disparity.
What is the truth about divorce statistics? ›
Many people accept it as fact that half of all marriages end in divorce, but as mentioned above, this applies only to first marriages. Those who wed multiple times face a far higher rate of divorce. In fact, 67% of second marriages end, and 73% of third marriages are dissolved.
Why do women initiate divorce more than men? ›
Although cheating husbands may certainly be a factor among women who choose to divorce, one author believes the primary reason women are more likely to initiate divorce has less to do with cheating and more to do with an unwillingness to settle. Popular culture encourages young women to romantically idealize marriage.
What is the number one cause of divorce? ›
Lack of Commitment Is the Most Common Reason for Divorce
In fact, 75% of individuals and couples cited lack of commitment as the reason for their divorce.
What percent of divorces are caused by cheating? ›
The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that anywhere from 20% to 40% of divorces are linked to infidelity, and men tend to cheat more often than women do.