The median length of a marriage before it ends in divorce reached 13 years in England and Wales in 2025. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Why are marriages lasting longer?
In a piece published in The Guardian's "The Sunday read" section, it is noted that the median length of a marriage before it ends in divorce reached 13 years in England and Wales in 2025. This figure indicates that couples are staying married for longer than before.
The article's author writes that financial pressures, legal changes and shifting attitudes may help explain why couples are staying married for longer. These factors are considered as possible reasons for the delay in divorce.
'I turbocharged my career then pressed eject'
The headline of the piece includes the quote: "I turbocharged my career then pressed eject". This phrase likely relates to one of the stories about divorce, although the text of the article does not specify to whom it belongs.
What is median length?
Median length is a figure that sits exactly in the middle of all marriages. That is, half of marriages last less than 13 years, and the other half last more than 13 years. This figure was recorded in England and Wales in 2025.
Financial pressures
In The Guardian's piece, financial pressures are named as one of the factors influencing the delay in divorce. Economic difficulties may mean that couples cannot afford to live separately.
Legal changes
Legal changes are also cited in the article as a factor affecting the timing of divorce. Changes in family law in England and Wales may alter the divorce procedure and its timing.
Shifting attitudes
Shifting attitudes are also named as one of the factors influencing the length of marriage before divorce. People's attitudes towards marriage and divorce change over time.
About The Guardian's piece
In this piece, published in The Guardian's "The Sunday read" section, data is presented showing that the median length of a marriage before it ends in divorce reached 13 years in England and Wales in 2025. The article names financial pressures, legal changes and shifting attitudes as reasons for this phenomenon.
The illustration for the article credits Guardian Design / Anaïs Mims / Getty Images. The illustration depicts that the median length of a marriage before it ends in divorce reached 13 years in England and Wales in 2025.
Conclusion
In England and Wales in 2025, the median length of a marriage before it ends in divorce was 13 years. In The Guardian's piece, this rise in the figure is linked to financial pressures, legal changes and shifting attitudes. The headline of the article includes the quote: "I turbocharged my career then pressed eject".