No one ever thinks they’ll end up divorced when they walk down the aisle, but the harsh reality is that while divorce rates have seen a dip in recent decades, it’s still unfortunately common. Between 40% and 50% of U.S. couples divorce today, and those rates only go up for those who remarry.
While there are infinite reasons that spouses may choose to end their marriage, interestingly, the reasons that married couples decided to split today is more emotional and personal than reasons in the past. Older generations tended to divorce for their spouse’s behavior, such as due to infidelity or addiction. While these reasons are still relevant today, people are more likely to get divorced because they are not personally satisfied or emotionally fulfilled in their marriage.
According to a recent study in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, the following are the top four reasons that marriages end in divorce:
1. Falling out of love
While likely not surprising, the number one reason couples cited for their split was a lack of love or intimacy, either because one or both partners fell out of love. 47% of the study’s participants chose this as their top answer.
2. Issues with communication
44% of participants reported communication problems as the second most common reason for their split from their partner. According to the researchers of the study, communication issues could mean that partners had different communication styles or that one partner preferred to communicate more than the other.
3. Lack of respect, trust or sympathy
The third most common reason couples say contributed to their divorce is disrespect or a lack of trust in their partner. 34% of participants selected this reason.
4. Growing apart
According to the researchers, growing apart could mean that one partner develops different values or wants to do something different with their lives that they didn’t anticipate when they got married. 32% of the study’s participants cited this reason for their split.
If any of these reasons sound familiar to you, you’re certainly not alone. Divorce is never easy, but whether you are considering it or have already taken the plunge, you deserve to feel fulfilled in your life and relationships.