New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicate a shift in divorce trends for opposite-sex couples in England and Wales. In 2025, 26% of the 102,879 divorces in this group were between couples who had been married for 20 years or longer.
This marks the second time the five-to-nine-year marriage duration category has been surpassed, a period traditionally associated with the highest proportion of divorces since records began in 1963. In 2025, 23% of divorces fell into the five-to-nine-year category.
The average length of a marriage ending in divorce in England and Wales reached a record high of 13 years in 2025, an increase from a record low of 8.9 years in 1985. Divorce lawyers suggest that factors such as the cost of living crisis and couples staying together for their children may contribute to this trend.