Are you in your 20's or 30's and loads of your friends are getting married or planning to get married? Do you fear you will never be a bride or groom? Then fear not.
Get married later in life and your chances of divorce are lowered. Since the year 2000 the amount of people divorcing declined and if you are getting married later in life you have lower risk of divorce according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
However divorce rate has increased slightly, the number of divorces in England and Wales in 2012 was 118.140 an increase of 0.5% since 2011 when divorce rate was 117,558. The highest divorce rate is among men and women aged 40 to 44.
For those who married in 1972 22% of marriages ended by their 15th wedding anniversary and in 1997 a 3rd of marriages ended by the their 15th wedding anniversary. The percentage of marriages ending in divorce increased in the first 10 years of marriage in England and Wales.
The Office of National Statistics declares the current 'long term picture for UK weddings is one of decline'.
Looking at the trend, 42% of current married couples are likely to divorce. Does this statistic include same sex marriages or just heterosexual marriages?
Factors to influence current percentage that could divorce are the length of marriage, year of marriage, age of marriage and if one or both partners had been married before. There is greater risk of divorce between the 4th and 8th wedding anniversary and the risk of the end of a marriage is greater by the 5th year of marriage. If, as a couple, you get to your 8th wedding anniversary your chances of divorce decreases.
There is some more good news - divorce has declined since the 1990's, however this could be because less people are getting married.
Oddly, with the rate of people getting married decreasing, the rate of divorces has increased, slightly.
In a recent interview with Esquire UK, actress Charlize Theron spoke how she was happy being unmarried. She was quoted in saying " Oh, I'm sure there's a lot of aspects to my life that a lot of people wouldn't want," she explains. "Just personal choice things. Like the fact that I'm single at 38. That's not necessarily what a lot of women want...I mean unmarried. But I'm just saying, a life is good if it's the life that you want."
Basically if you are happy unmarried then what is wrong with that? It is a personal choice. Life happiness is important, and above all else. You do not have to be married to find your happiness. If you are happy unmarried for the time being then that level of peace and independence could benefit a future marriage. If you choose to get married. You can be a wife or husband and be yourself at the same time because you know how to be yourself and are comfortable without a spouse.
Unfortunately people fear being single which makes them stay in a bad relationship. People can forgive a cheating partner, bad behaviour of their spouse because they believe it is better than being alone.
Find your happiness as an individual, make memories and develop as a person. It is better to be happy and with the right person then to be unhappy and with the wrong person because you fear of being alone.
So, as statistics show the longer you wait to get married the chances of divorce are less however if current marriages get past their 8th wedding anniversary chance of divorce decreases.
Are the days gone that your grandparents spoke about marriage and that you work at it?
Are we being less tolerant and divorcing to soon?
Would the statistics change your view on marriage or would you take a chance and get married anyway? You never know it might work out.