The Divorce Rate for Americans Over 50 Has Doubled

Research indicates that the frequency of divorce among older adults has risen, reports Considerable . According to a study in the Journals of Gerontology , divorce rates among people 50 and older climbed from one in 10 in 1990 to nearly one in four in 2016. An AARP-commissioned report on "gray divorce" suggests women's economic independence may help them choose to leave these unhappy marriages. Some older adults end these marriages because they have grown apart, with marriage and family therapist Crystal Hemesath describing this phenomenon as a lack of sexual attraction, emotional connectedness, or sense of relationship togetherness. Among couples 50 and over, there may be irreconcilable differences with how one chooses to live the rest of their life and the type of love and companionship they want.