Study shows second marriages have fewer chances of ending in divorce

Apr 29, 2013 20:21 GMT  ·  By

Specialists working with The Marriage Foundation have recently carried out a study meant to determine how often second marriages end in divorce.

Their investigations led them to the conclusion that, at least as far as marriage goes, the second time might just be the charm.

Thus, it appears that, whereas nearly half of the marriages between so-called first-timers sooner or later end in divorce, only a third of second marriages eventually come to an end.

“Almost half – 45 per cent – of all couples who marry for the first time in 2013 will divorce during their lifetime. However, divorced couples who marry for the second time have only a 31% chance of their marriage ending in divorce,” reads the official website for The Marriage Foundation.

The researchers who took the time to investigate this issue suspect that second marriages are less likely to fail than first-time ones due to the fact that both partners are now more experienced and therefore more ready to commit.

It appears that the success of second marriages is also influenced by the partners' now being old enough not to commit out of mere enthusiasm, Daily Mail says.

More precisely, the researchers speculate that slightly older people take the time to weigh pros and cons prior their deciding to enter a second marriage.

The same source informs us that, unlike first-timers, older people who marry for the second time are less likely to experience financial difficulties, something that also helps keep the relationship afloat.

Needless to say, not experiencing any family or social pressure also works in the couple's benefit.

“Overall, second marriages do better because couples who get married for the second time are invariably older than those marrying for the first time,” researcher Harry Benson argued.

Interestingly enough, the report suggests that, for the time being at least, men have more chances of entering a successful second marriage than women do.