Divorcee children divorce more often

In 2004, almost 34 thousand under-aged children living at home experienced a divorce of their parents. A study shows that these children themselves are far more likely to divorce once they are older.

Divorce after 20 years by marital history of parents

Divorce probability twice as high

The probability of divorce for children of divorced parents is more than twice as high as that of children whose parents did not divorce. It turns out that over 40 percent of people who married between 1977 and 1981 and who experienced parental divorce, were themselves divorced after 20 years. The figure for married people without divorced parents is barely 20 percent.
A greatly increased probability of divorce is also found among children who did not experience a parental divorce directly, but who have at least one parent who divorced in a previous marriage.

Divorce after 20 years by the marital history of both partners’ parents

Highest probability of divorce

When both partners have divorced parents, a couple has an even higher probability of divorce. Over half will divorce, three times the rate of couples without divorced parents. When one partner has divorced parents, a couple is twice as likely to divorce as couples whose parents did not divorce. Their share is over 30 percent within 20 years.

Divorce after 20 years by children’s age

Young divorcee children

Experiencing divorce at a very young age increases the probability of divorce later on. Almost half of the children who were under five when their parents split up, are themselves divorced within 20 years of marriage. The figure for children who were already grown up when their parents divorced, was just under 40 percent.

Liesbeth Steenhof