New data shows that although the rate of marriage among older people is growing, so too is the rate of divorce.
Data from the Office of National Statistics reveals that the number of marriages between people aged 65 and over has increased by 46% in a decade.
From 2004 to 2014, the number of marriages rose from 7,468 to 10,937.
Part of the reason for this rise is that the number of people aged 65 and over has grown by 20% over the same period.
But running alongside this marriage increase is a rise in divorce among this older age group.
During 2005 and 2015, the number of men aged 65 and over getting divorced grew by 23%, whereas the number of women divorcing increased even further – by 38%.
This is despite the fact that the overall rate of divorce fell by 28% between 2005 and 2015.
As for why this is happening, the ONS said it was likely because people are living longer, saying: “In 2004, an average 65-year-old man could expect to live for a further 17 years and a woman for a further 20 years.
“Continuing a long-term trend, in 2017, this has increased to 19 years for a man and almost 22 years for a woman. The gap between male and female life expectancy is also narrowing.”
It is also because older people are “more connected, economically and socially” than they were before, the ONS mentioning their increasing use of the internet, and online dating, as a factor.
This year, both Match.com and Snap Interactive released new dating products for the over-50s market.
OurTime and 50more are both positioned to take advantage of the seniors market, as the interest in online dating among older generations continues to grow.
Read more about the ONS data here.