If married couples make it past the ten year mark they have the same chance of staying together as their grandparents' generation.
A new report by the Marriage Foundation is attempting to stop the assumption that more and more people are getting divorced. Research shows that while 39 percent of couples will separate, the number falls dramatically once they've lasted a decade. Just one in five married couples divorce after ten years, decreasing to one in fifty after thirty years and one in two hundred after forty years. The Marriage Foundation says this suggests the number of older people divorcing is simply down to people getting wed later in life. The most common time for a break up is between three and six years.
Harry Benson conducted the research. Speaking to Des Busteed on Premier's News Hour he said he's encouraged by the findings.
Churches are trying to buck the trend of divorce through various types of support groups and courses for couples. The Marriage Course - which was founded out of Holy Trinity Brompton in London - now has almost five hundred groups running around the country. The Marriage Foundation suggests even those in the three to six year bracket have hope with divorce rates falling since they peaked in 1993. The findings were released during National Marriage Week 2013, which runs until February 14th. At the launch event organisers revealed that a world record attempt will be a central part of next year's celebrations.
'The BIG Promise' will see a huge number of couples simultaneously re-affirming their marriage vows at churches and registered wedding venues across the country.
Project Coordinator Dave Percival said:
"Having hundreds of thousands of couples across the UK saying together 'We will!' will be fantastic."
"The occasion will be both serious and huge fun - a bit like marriage really!"