Ryan Bridge: What's the secret to a good marriage?

What are your chances of getting divorced?

The new Stats NZ numbers are interesting for a couple of reasons. 

1. Fewer people are getting hitched. In 2025, 7.6 marriages per 1000 people. That's half of the rate in 2000 (15.5 per 1000). In 1971, peak marriage, it was 45 per 1000 people. 

So basically, fewer of us are bothering to get married. I've got friends who are single and don't mind being single - that was far less acceptable in 1971. 

2. We're getting married later in life. We used to put a ring on it around the age of 20, now we wait until we're into our thirties.

This is part of a bigger trend. People still live at home with their parents when their 25 - it's common. They go to university, don't get proper jobs until they're sometimes in their late 20's or even early thirties.

We're living longer at the other end of life, and it feels like we're stretching out childhood a bit at the beginning, too. Get a dog, live at home, complain about house prices, and then marry later. 

3. Divorce is the most interesting part.

If you're in a marriage and you're wondering whether you might get a divorce then I reckon you probably will. Otherwise, why would you be thinking about or worrying about it?

The numbers tell us how long you're married before you call it quits; 5% within five years. 15% within 10 years. 1/3 within 25 years. 

But here's the good news. The news you should hope for. 

60% of couples remain married for the rest of their lives. 

Happily ever after, just like in the movies. 

As the old saying goes, the best way to stay married is to not get divorced.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
What are your chances of getting divorced? The new stats
in Z numbers were interesting for a couple of reasons. One,
fewer people are getting hitched. In twenty twenty five it
was seven point six marriages per one thousand people. That's
half the rate it was in the year two thousand.
In nineteen seventy one, which was peak marriage, it was
forty five people per one thousand. So basically, fewer of
us are bothering to get married. I got friends who

(00:22):
are single, don't mind being single. That was far less
acceptable in nineteen seventy one. Number Two, we're getting married
later in life. We put a ring on it at
around twenty in nineteen seventy one. We now wait until
we're in our thirties, and I reckon this is part
of a bigger trend. People still live at home with
their parents when they're twenty five. This is common. They

(00:42):
go to UNI, they don't get proper jobs until sometimes
they're in their late twenties or even early thirties. We're
living longer at the other end of life, and it
feels like we're kind of stretching out childhood a bit
at the beginning as well. Get a dog live at home,
complain about house prices, marry later. Number three divorce the
most interesting. If you're in a marriage and you're wondering
whether you might get a divorce, then I reckon you

(01:03):
probably will. Otherwise, why would you be thinking about or
worrying about it, you know what I mean? The numbers
tell us how long you're likely to be married for
how long you're married before you call it quits. Five
percent quit within five years, fifteen percent within ten years,
and a third within twenty five years. Here's the good news,
the news you should hope for. Sixty percent of couples

(01:27):
remain married for the rest of their lives, happily ever after,
Just like in the movies. A wise man once told me,
the best way to stay married is to just not
get divorced. For more from Early edition with Ryan Bridge.
Listen live to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays,
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