These Are the Top Reasons People Get Divorced, According to Poll

To this day, it holds true that something like half of all marriages end in divorce. But those who have never dealt with the painful experience themselves—or even maybe those who have—may wonder how do things go so terribly wrong?

After all—at some point—you must have been in love enough to have taken the plunge to walk down the aisle in front of your closest family and friends.

To get to the bottom of the question, Forbes Advisor, with help of the market research company OnePoll, surveyed 1,000 Americans who have been divorced or are currently getting a divorce to learn why their marriages failed. Interestingly enough, the top reason listed among respondents was a lack of family support, with 43 percent saying that was a factor in the decision to end the union.

Other common reasons included infidelity or extramarital affairs, a lack of compatibility, a lack of intimacy, and too much conflict or arguing. Interestingly enough, while money problems are often blamed for the downfall of marriages, only 24 percent listed financial stress as a contributing factor.

The duration of marriages also provided some insight, as longer marriages tended to fare better than shorter unions. Those who divorced early said that they were more likely to end their marriages after learning that they they couldn’t get along, with 59 percent of people calling it quits within the first year of marriage citing a lack of compatibility.

While most divorces tend to happen between the third and seventh year of marriage, just 4 percent of couples divorced after 10 years. Those who divorced after nine or more years also tended to indicate more serious issues such as infidelity and a lack of intimacy. Lack of family support also became a bigger issue the longer a couple were married, with it being the primary reason for divorce among those who ended their marriages within two through eight years.

You can see the full breakdown below:

• Lack of family support: 43 percent
• Infidelity or extramarital affairs: 34 percent
• Lack of compatibility: 31 percent
• Lack of intimacy: 31 percent
• Too much conflict or arguing: 31 percent
• Financial stress: 24 percent
• Lack of commitment: 23 percent
• Parenting differences: 20 percent
• Marrying too young: 10 percent
• Opposing values or morals: 6 percent
• Substance abuse: 3 percent
• Domestic violence (physical and/or emotional): 3 percent
• Pursing different lifestyles: 1 percent