Gray divorce occurs in individuals over the age of 55. The name comes from the hair color of older adults. In the past, divorce was not common among older generations for various reasons.
However, in recent years, gray divorce is becoming more common. Business Insider explains there are some easy to define reasons as to why the number of gray divorces is increasing.
Social changes
When you were younger, divorce was not as common. It was also not as socially accepted as it is now. It is much easier for people to accept a divorce because it is so common. For many older adults, the time just was not right because they feared becoming a social outcast if they went through with a divorce. That worry is no longer there.
Financial freedom
Another issue with divorcing when you were younger is that you likely did not have any financial freedom. As you got older, you built your finances, so you can now afford to get a divorce. For women, specifically, in their younger years, they may not have worked outside the home, which made them very dependent. As they got older, they may have begun a career and now can support themselves.
Longer living
Living longer is also playing into the increase in gray divorce. In the past, people often died much younger, so if marriage was unhappy, a person only need wait it out. Now that people live longer, they do not want to waste any time in a marriage that is not working, so they are more likely to get a divorce.
Gray divorce is simply when two older adults end their marriage. While there are many differences that occur because life circumstances are different, it is still basically the same as divorce at any other age.