This is Grey Divorce: The reason why couples over 50 years old are splitting up

A new trend of divorce among couples over the age of fifty, dubbed ‘grey divorce,’ has emerged over the past few decades. According to data from the Pew Research Center, divorce rates in this age group have doubled since the 1990s, while they have tripled for people over 65.

The increasing number of separations among this demographic shapes familial life in the United States, as children and parents work to figure out a care plan for their later years for two single parents rather than a couple. As society changes and divorce loses the stigma it held for centuries, some people realize that after twenty, thirty, or even forty years of marriage, they want to do something else with their life or live their life in a way that is incompatible with their relationship.

Divorce rate triples among people over 50

Data from the French National Institute of Demographic Studies show that divorces among people over 50 have doubled over the past thirty years, representing 14 percent in 1996 and 33.5 percent in 2016. For couples over 60, the data shows an increase of 3.5 to 10 percent over the same period, highlighting that the trend exists for retirees who may have more time to reevaluate their lives and change how they want to live out the rest of their lives.

Statistics suggest that baby boomers are more prone to divorce, and factors such as empty nest syndrome, changing priorities, financial problems, and reduced stigma around divorce may also play a role.

A new world and the options it creates

Serge Guérin, a sociologist specializing in old age, explained that many people today, at all ages, see a different future for themselves than the one lived by their parents and grandparents. “They want to fully invest in this final part of their life, develop the imagination associated with their age, and allow themselves changes of perspective,” said Guérin.

In the final stages of life, after children have grown and couples find themselves alone—often with love fading and retirement eliminating job distractions—many women seek something more. This quest for change is significant, as 70% of divorces are initiated by women, highlighting their economic independence.

It is critical to remember that in the United States, no-fault divorce was not legalized across the country until the early 1970s, which is around the same time women were allowed to open bank accounts and lines of credit in their name without the need for their husbands or fathers to co-sign. When Guérin suggests that people are looking to lead different lives than the generations before them, women, in particular, have far more power in society, thus opening up new futures for their later years that their grandparents may have never felt were available.

In many of the cases analyzed, the goal is not even to find another partner but rather to live and enjoy life differently and not depend on anyone who cuts your wings, does not want to keep up with you, or does not like anything you propose, not even walking or reading.

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