The 20-year itch! Record number of married couples are splitting after two decades together, figures reveal

The seven-year itch may be a thing of the past, official figures suggest, as Britain's marriages are now most likely to unravel after two decades together.

New data from the Office for National Statistics shows that divorces after 20 years of marriage have overtaken every other category for the first time.

Of the 102,879 opposite-sex divorces recorded in England and Wales last year, 26 per cent involved couples who had been married for at least 20 years.

That equates to 27,180 couples ending relationships that had spanned decades.

By comparison 23 per cent of divorces were among couples married for between five and nine years, while 22 per cent involved those together for between ten and 14 years.

Typically, the largest share of divorces has almost always been among couples married for five to nine years, helping to cement the popular idea of the ‘seven-year itch’.

But experts say the pattern has shifted dramatically, with many couples now staying together until their children have grown up before deciding to part ways.

Jeremy Todd, head of family support charity Coram Family Lives, said many parents remain together until their children have left home, with ‘empty-nest syndrome’ often exposing longstanding problems within a relationship.

Finances may also play a role, with couples more able to separate later in life once they have built up enough wealth to support two households and divide pensions fairly.

Meanwhile, Dr Chivonna Childs, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, recently explained that ‘grey divorce’ is becoming increasingly common among couples above the age of 50.

She argues older couples are often driven not by a single crisis but by years of accumulated issues, changing priorities and a desire for personal fulfilment later in life.

‘It’s not the 18th, 19th or even the 20th century anymore, and staying in a marriage that’s unfulfilling is no longer necessary,’ she said.

‘Women have a lot more financial stability and flexibility in their lives, and we’re paying more attention to our mental health than ever before. We’re no longer relegated to having to remain in a marriage for financial stability.’

High-profile splits appear to reflect the trend, with TV presenters Tess Daly and Vernon Kay announcing the end of their 22-year marriage in May.

Meanwhile, newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky recently revealed she had separated from her husband after 20 years.

Other celebrity couples to have split after lengthy marriages include Hugh Bonneville and Lulu Williams, who separated after 25 years, and Colin Firth and Livia Giuggioli, who ended their marriage after 22 years.

The figures underline a longer-term shift in marriage breakdown, with the average duration of an opposite-sex marriage ending in divorce rising from 10.7 years in 2000 to 13 years last year, the highest level since records began.