You can certainly find couples who got married at 18 and who are still married 70 years later. It is possible for people to get married at a young age without facing the prospect of a future divorce.

That being said, statistics do show that getting married young makes it more likely that you will get divorced. The odds are higher if you were only 18 when you tied the knot, for instance, as opposed to if you were 32 years of age – said by some experts to be the best age to get married. But why is it that a young marriage age leads to divorce?

Change and development

One potential reason is that people themselves are still changing and developing. Brain development, for instance, still continues until your mid-20s. This type of change can make you and your spouse eventually feel like you should no longer be married. You may have had a better connection when you were young, which could be lost if you develop in different ways. 

Financial difficulties

Getting married young can also be financially difficult for couples who need to move out and be on their own. They sometimes find that it just causes far too much stress to try to support themselves at this age. Financial stress is one of the main reasons for divorce, after all. 

Emotional mistakes

Additionally, people often get married at such a young age for emotional reasons. They feel like they have fallen in love with their high school sweetheart and they'll never find anyone else who is the same. But getting a bit older and having more life experiences can give them a more nuanced perspective.

If you and your spouse do decide to get divorced, be sure you know what legal steps to take.