At first glance, it might seem like good news. Divorces in Australia have dropped to their lowest rate since no-fault divorce was introduced. And on average, marriages are lasting longer.

Latest data show 2.1 divorces registered for every 1,000 Australians aged 16 and over in 2024.

But while greater longevity of marriages has been heralded as a sign of more successful relationships, the reality is far more nuanced.

Australians are marrying and divorcing less and having fewer children amid increasing economic insecurity. It’s emblematic of deep and complex social change.

Divorce in Australia has changed significantly since the 1975 reform that removed the requirements to show fault. That is, couples could now go their separate ways without having to explain themselves.

For 20 years before no-fault divorce, marriage dissolution was reported by court-decreed fault and included among official crime statistics.

Included among the more than a dozen grounds for divorce were adultery, drunkenness and non-consummation.

When Australians divorce now, they’re older – 47 years for men and 44 for women – reflecting increasing age when marrying and longer duration in marriage.

Marriages are typically lasting just over eight months more to separation and nearly 11 months longer to divorce than in 2019, the year before the COVID pandemic started. Such an increase points to a swift and sharp change likely brought on during and since the pandemic.

But this doesn’t mean we’re getting better at navigating relationships – rather, Australians are remaining longer in marriages due to economics.

Cohabiting before marriage is also increasingly

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