A new survey from a parenting website has revealed that the traditional seven year itch when couples are more likely to split up, is more likely to be just three years.
Netmums, which surveyed 1,500 couples, found that people are now four and a half times more likely to separate after three years, with fewer now deciding to split up after seven. Relationship experts believe that the figures are down to later parenthood where couples are settling down later in life and are spending relatively little time getting to know each other before getting married and having children.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that women are generally leaving it later to have children and the average age of a woman giving birth is now a year older than it was a decade ago. They also show a decline in the number of people married but an increase in those who are living together.
Siobahn Freegard, founder of Netmums, said that a combination of young children, lack of time, work and money problems was putting more pressure on parents than ever before and that it was therefore little surprise that couples are splitting up earlier than in the past.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/why-can-t-we-stay-married-7657610.html