Forget the seven-year itch: opposite-sex marriages more likely to end after two decades

Divorce lawyers have previously said some couples are putting off splitting up because of the cost of living crisis. Photograph: Rani Nurlaela Desandi/Getty Images

Most couples are aware of the dreaded “seven-year itch”, when the honeymoon period wears off and real life starts to bite.

Now official data has shown that couples in England and Wales are more likely to split after 20 years. According to Office for National Statistics figures, more than a quarter of all divorces between opposite-sex couples happened after 20 years or longer of marriage.