What's the Best Age to Walk Down the Aisle? Find Out Now!

Study reveals the surprising age when divorce risk is lowest.

What's the Best Age to Walk Down the Aisle? Find Out Now!

lowest-divorce-rate-research-blog
Photo: Marisa Holmes


We've been told for years that marrying too young is a strong predictor of divorce. But a new study reveals that you may not want to wait too long before tying the knot, either.

Psychologist Nicholas Wolfinger of the University of Utah analyzed data from the National Survey of Family Growth and found that the odds of divorce decrease by 11 percent for each additional year of age at marriage. For example, your odds of divorce will be 11 percent lower at age 26 than at age 25.

However, this trend only lasts to age 32. Then, the odds of divorce actually increase by five percent for each additional year of age at marriage. Thus, someone who marries at age 37 is five percent more likely to divorce than someone who marries at age 36.

The age range with the lowest divorce risk was found to be 30 to 34; 20 to 24-year-olds and 35-year-olds and up were found to have virtually the same divorce risk.

It's unclear why divorce risk tends to increase after age 32, but Wolfinger speculated that the kinds of people who wait to marry may also be the kinds of people who aren't predisposed to doing well in a marriage.

Discover the secrets to a happy union, as revealed by 700 people in 30+ year marriages, and learn how to preserve the passion in your relationship long after you've walked down the aisle.

Opening photo by Fred Marcus Studio