For decades, divorce was seen as something that mostly happened to younger couples. But a growing body of reporting shows that trend is shifting: more people are ending long marriages well into their 60s and beyond, a pattern researchers and journalists have dubbed “gray divorce.”
Several factors appear to be driving the change. People are living longer and healthier lives, which means a couple who married in their twenties may spend decades more together than previous generations did — time that can either deepen a bond or expose irreconcilable differences. Financial independence, especially among women who now often have their own careers, pensions, and savings, has also made it easier to leave an unhappy marriage later in life without facing the economic hardship divorce once guaranteed.
Cultural attitudes have shifted too. Divorce carries far less stigma than it did a generation ago, and many older adults say they no longer want to “stay together for the kids” once children are grown and out of the house. Empty-nest years, retirement, and the search for personal fulfillment are pushing some couples to reconsider whether their marriage still serves them.
The consequences ripple beyond the couple themselves, affecting adult children, shared finances, and even housing decisions late in life.
To explore what’s behind this trend in more depth, read the full story at El Universal.
Image: DonkeyHotey, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).