# Marriages Last Longer Before Divorce in England and Wales, ONS Reports

> The median duration of opposite-sex marriages ending in divorce in England and Wales reached a record 13.0 years in 2025, the longest since data collection began in 1963.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-18T13:55:56.855295Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/marriages-last-longer-before-divorce-in-england-and-wales-ons-reports-a3b94ee2

In 2025, the median duration of opposite-sex marriages in England and Wales before ending in divorce hit a record 13.0 years, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on September 23, 2026 [1][5][15]. This marks the longest period since records started in 1963, a significant increase from 8.9 years in 1985 [1][5][6][15].

This shift indicates that couples are staying married for longer before separating, a trend that moves away from earlier patterns of divorce [2][5]. Despite legal changes aimed at simplifying the process, such as the introduction of no-fault divorce, financial aspects of dissolving a marriage continue to present challenges for couples [9][10][11].

## What the records show

The ONS data, published on September 23, 2026, confirmed that for opposite-sex couples, 2025 saw the median length of marriage before divorce reach 13.0 years [1][5]. This figure surpasses the previous low of 8.9 years recorded in 1985 [5][6][15]. A substantial portion of divorces in 2025, approximately 26.4%, occurred after couples had been married for two decades or more [1][7].

The divorce rate for opposite-sex couples held steady at 8.4 per 1,000 married individuals in 2025, consistent with 2023 and 2024 figures [13][14]. This rate remains considerably lower than its peak of 14.2 per 1,000 in 1993 [13][14]. For more recent marriage cohorts, fewer unions ended within the first decade compared to earlier groups. For example, 16.3% of couples married in 2015 had divorced by their tenth anniversary, compared to 24.7% of those married in 1995 [2][4][6][15].

No-fault divorce, implemented in April 2022, accounted for 94.2% of all divorces and civil partnership dissolutions in 2025 [8][14]. Of these, 74.1% were sole applications, while 25.9% were joint applications [8][14]. Same-sex civil partnerships also showed extended durations before dissolution, with a median of 13.7 years for male couples and 13.6 years for female couples in 2025 [14][16].

## The timeline

Data collection on marriage and divorce in England and Wales began in 1963 [1][5]. By 1985, the median duration of an opposite-sex marriage ending in divorce was 8.9 years [5][6][15]. The divorce rate for opposite-sex couples peaked in 1993 at 14.2 per 1,000 [13][14]. In April 2022, no-fault divorce legislation took effect [8][9][12]. The ONS published the most recent data on September 23, 2026, detailing patterns up to 2025 [1][5].

## What changed and for whom

The increase in marriage duration before divorce suggests a shift for opposite-sex couples, with a notable portion now divorcing after two decades of marriage [1][7]. More recent marriage cohorts are demonstrating greater longevity, with a smaller percentage divorcing within their first 10 years compared to cohorts from the 1990s [2][4][6]. The introduction of no-fault divorce simplified the legal procedures for nearly all couples dissolving their unions in 2025 [8][9][12][14]. However, financial complications in divorce cases continue, even with the simpler legal framework [9][10][11].

## What the subject has said publicly

The ONS commented that these changes were "likely be caused by a range of factors including legislation" [4].

## What we could not confirm

We could not confirm specific, detailed reasons beyond general factors cited by the ONS for why marriages are lasting longer or why recent cohorts exhibit greater initial stability [4]. The precise impact of ongoing financial complexities in no-fault divorces on individual couples was also not detailed in the records [9][10][11].

## Evidence cited
1. Forget the seven-year itch: opposite-sex marriages more likely to end after two decades (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/oct/18/opposite-sex-marriages-end-after-20-years-divorce-england-wales-ons
2. (October 16 2026) This continues a long-term trend of couples remaining married for longer before separating and divorcing. The ONS also found record-high durations for same-sex civil partnerships, with median partnership lengths exceeding 13 years before dissolution. ... The report highlights an encouraging long-term trend. Of couples who married in 2015, an estimated 16.3% had divorced before their 10th wedding anniversary. This compares with 24.7% of couples who married in 1995, indicating th (legal500.com) — https://legal500.com/
3. ... 1963. 2018. Data source: UK Office for National Statistics(2025) – Learn more about this data. CC BY. The share of marriages ending in divorce by anniversary year. What might explain the recent reduction in overall divorce rates in some countries? The overall trend can be broken down into two key drivers: more recent cohorts being less likely to get a divorce, and having been married for longer before divorcing. We see both of these factors in data on divorce rates from England and Wales. Th (ourworldindata.org) — https://ourworldindata.org/
4. (September 23 2026) Around one in 10 couples (9.9 per cent) who married in 1965 had divorced by their 10th wedding anniversary, and this rose to almost a quarter (24.7 per cent) for couples who married in 1995. But among couples who married in 2005, this decreased to around a fifth (20.7 per cent) and for those who married in 2015 it had fallen to 16.3 per cent being divorced by their 10th anniversary. The ONS said the changes were “likely be caused by a range of factors including legislation ch (independent.co.uk) — https://independent.co.uk/
5. (September 23 2026) Couples in England and Wales are remaining married for longer periods before separating, fresh figures show. The average length of a marriage ending in divorce reached a record high of 13 years in 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This marks the longest duration since records began in 1963, rising from a record low of 8.9 years recorded in 1985. Offering a potential explanation, one divorce lawyer noted that couples "can't afford to get divorced and (the-independent.com) — https://the-independent.com/
6. (October 02 2026) New ONS figures show that the median duration of an opposite-sex marriage ending in divorce reached 13 years in 2025. In 1985, it was 8.9 years. There is another interesting shift: 24.7% of couples who married in 1995 had divorced by their tenth anniversary, compared with 16.3% of couples who married in 2015. That does not mean the total number of divorces is rising. Swipe for the figures ➡️ ⭐️ Follow Family Law Lawyer - Yasmin KhanGunns for clear family-law guidance in England (facebook.com) — https://facebook.com/
7. (October 18 2026) ONS data for England and Wales shows 26% of heterosexual divorces in 2025 followed 20 years or more of marriage. ... fault' in divorce in France, court rules. 23 Jan 2025. Divorce applications wrongly approved after computer error, high court hears. 31 Oct 2024 ... (theguardian.com) — https://theguardian.com/
8. (October 16 2026) No-Fault Divorce Continues to Dominate

 One of the most notable findings is the continued uptake of the no-fault divorce process introduced by the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020. In 2025, 94.2% of all divorces and dissolutions were granted under this 2020 legislation, which only came into effect in April 2022, with 74.1% proceeding as sole applications and 25.9% as joint applications. The remainder will be old law cases that were filed before the new process came (mondaq.com) — https://mondaq.com/
9. (October 29 2024) By Alison Green, Head of Family & Relationship Team at Mackrell. The introduction of the no-fault divorce more than two years ago marked a significant turning point in family law. By removing the need to assign blame, the reform was intended to ease the emotional toll of divorce and encourage a more amicable approach to the legal process. While the new law has undoubtedly made the divorce process smoother for many, greater questions have emerged about how it affects financial r (mackrell.com) — https://mackrell.com/
10. Disagreement Over Terms. Even in a no-fault divorce, disputes over property division, child custody, or spousal support can arise, requiring negotiation or court intervention. · One-Sided Filings · Financial Complexity.
...
 Challenges of No-Fault Divorce 
 
  * Disagreement Over Terms.   Even in a no-fault divorce, disputes over property division, child custody, or spousal support can arise, requiring negotiation or court intervention.  
  * One-Sided Filings.   In some cases, one spouse may fi (howlandhess.com) — https://howlandhess.com/
11. (July 18 2023) Cons of a No-Fault Divorce

 ... A no-fault divorce can also create financial imbalance. When one spouse is financially dependent on the other, a no-fault divorce may lead to potential inequities. The financially dependent spouse may be disadvantaged during the property division and spousal support determinations. Although no-fault divorce aims to reduce conflict, the process still creates emotional impacts and challenges for children and may make it harder for them to understand  (lexmedica.net) — https://lexmedica.net/
12. (November 29 2022) The introduction of an immediate 'no fault' divorce process from April this year is a very welcome development following many years of campaigning by family law professionals. By removing the need to assign blame, the reform was intended to ease the emotional toll of divorce and encourage a more amicable approach to the legal process. While the new law has undoubtedly made the divorce process smoother for many, greater questions have emerged about how it affects financial reme (berwins.co.uk) — https://berwins.co.uk/
13. Free to reuse with credit to Mediate UK and a link to this page. ... Source: ONS, Divorces and dissolutions in England and Wales: 2024 and 2025, Table 8. Median length at divorce or dissolution. The 6.6 years recorded for female same-sex marriages is the highest since the first same-sex divorces in 2015, and both male and female civil partnerships reached record medians in 2025.
...
What is the average length of marriage before divorce? The median marriage ending in divorce in 2025 had lasted 13 (mediateuk.co.uk) — https://mediateuk.co.uk/
14. Divorce and civil partnership dissolution numbers and rates, by partnership type and duration of legal partnership ... There were 105,961 legal partnership dissolutions in England and Wales in 2025, comprising 105,002 divorces and 959 civil partnership dissolutions. These numbers are similar to 2023 and 2024 but lower than peak levels in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, when there were around 150,000 divorces per year. The divorce rate for opposite-sex couples was 8.4 per 1,000 opposite-sex mar (ons.gov.uk) — https://ons.gov.uk/
15. (September 23 2026) New ONS figures show that the median duration of an opposite-sex marriage ending in divorce reached 13 years in 2025. In 1985, it was 8.9 years. There is another interesting shift: 24.7% of couples who married in 1995 had divorced by their tenth anniversary ...
...
(September 23 2026) Divorcing couples are ending longer marriages. New ONS figures show that the median duration of an opposite-sex marriage ending in divorce reached 13 years in 2025. In 1985, it was 8.9 years. Th (instagram.com) — https://instagram.com/
16. (October 15 2026) Forget the seven-year itch, said The Telegraph. Heterosexual couples are staying together longer, with divorces happening “a record 13 years after marriage”, according   to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It might not be “a case of happily ever after” but people are increasingly “turning to couples therapy and forgiving infidelity” in what is a “bleak financial landscape”. Staying power. The 13-year figure, from 2025, is the “longest average period marria (theweek.com) — https://theweek.com/