Older Adults Are No Longer Staying in 'Empty Shell' Marriages

[Coventina]

While divorce rates have been dropping across age groups in recent years, the exception to that trend is among Americans ages 65 and up. The reasons are complicated, but it’s becoming clear that some Gen Xers and baby boomers are increasingly unwilling to stay in what sociologists call “empty shell marriages.”

These are relationships in which there is no real connection or vitality, where one or both partners are not happy, said Susan Brown, a professor of sociology at Bowling Green State University who co-directs the National Center for Family and Marriage Research. Traditionally, such couples often decided to stay together for the sake of their kids, in view of economic stability or out of fear of stigma.

Now, that may be a thing of the past.

“This generation is living longer than prior generations,” she said, “and that may be changing the calculus about whether you want to stay in a marriage that is not that meaningful anymore.”

***snip***

“We as a species are in longer relationships than our ancestors ever were,” he said. “Lifelong monogamy maybe meant a few decades.” Now, though, there are couples who have been together for 50, 60 or even 70-plus years.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/22/well/family/gray-divorce-empty-shell-marriage.html?

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They didn't get divorced, but my MIL is now living her best life after my FIL passed in 2020......

[Ilsa]

1. The ability of women to have careers makes a huge

difference in planning for their retirement security, both with savings and or pensions, and social security. That security also gives them freedom to remarry after retirement whether they are divorced or widowed.

[Diamond_Dog]

2. Another reason for right wing men to hate wives having careers and Social Security.

Too easy for them to be independent.

[chia]

6. That's what it comes down to. A woman being able to support herself was the game changer.

[synni]

3. Gen X is aged 46-61

However, we are also joining in this trend of not staying in bad marriages.

And we are happy to declare that a lot of younger women have learned the same lesson, far sooner than we did.

[Ocelot II]

4. Reminds me of the old joke about the couple in their 90s who finally decided to get divorced

after many unhappy years. "If you were unhappy, why did you wait so long to divorce?" the lawyer asked. The wife answered, "We wanted to wait until the kids were dead."

[chia]

5. 😂😂😂

[Talitha]

7. I know a widow (76) who blossomed after her hubby died.

Says she can finally do what she wants without asking the boss for permission and/or money.

Yeah, I guess you could say they had an 'empty shell' marriage but they never would have considered divorce - till death do us part, and all.

I'm just glad she's healthy enough to finally travel like she always wanted to.