Are Arranged Marriages More or Less Likely to End in Divorce?

 Posted on August 16, 2016 in Divorce

Depending on your cultural background, arranged marriage as a concept might be wildly foreign, an outdated idea that perhaps held some prominence with your parents' or grandparents' generation but is not relevant to you, or a completely normal, even expected, part of life. Globally, 53.25 percent of marriages are arranged, according to a 2016 statistics. In 2012, the global divorce rate for arranged marriages was six percent, a much lower figure than the divorce percentage for couples in non-arranged marriages.

Does this mean your marriage is doomed because it was not arranged or conversely, that it is destined to last because it was arranged? Absolutely not. But what the statistics show is that despite certain stereotypes and assumptions, arranged marriages do exist and flourish throughout the world today.

Factors Present in Modern Arranged Marriages

Generally, parents who arrange marriages for their children do so with their children's best interest in mind. That means choosing partners whose beliefs, social status, and education levels match their own. The most common conflicts in marriages are conflicts borne of incompatibility in these areas, such as conflicts about how to spend money or the religion in which to raise their children. By choosing partners with similar worldviews and backgrounds, parents largely eliminate these conflicts.

Today, approximately 90 percent of marriages in India are arranged. India has one of the lowest divorce rates in the world, with approximately one in 100 marriages ending in divorce. According to a 2013 survey, 74 percent of Indians aged 18 to 35 preferred arranged marriages to choosing their own partner.

The Statistics Do Not Tell the Whole Story

When reading about arranged versus non-arranged marriage statistics, it is important to keep in mind that the statistics presented do not tell the whole story. For example, we cannot know how many couples in arranged marriages are unhappy with each other, but feel they cannot file for divorce due to their cultural or religious beliefs. This is seen in many religious groups that denounce divorce, such as Catholics.

Another issue that the statistics do not show is the issue of forced marriages, which happen throughout the world and are often conflated with arranged marriage. The difference between the two is the level of agency the individuals being married have and in many cases of forced marriage, young girls have no say in the men they marry. In contrast, arranged marriages are generally facilitated by families with long relationships and engaged individuals can veto their parents' choices or call off their weddings if they feel the relationship is not right.

Work with an Experienced Kane County Divorce Lawyer

Whether your marriage was arranged or not, if you are unhappy in it and you have tried your hardest to repair the issues that are causing conflict between you and your partner, it might be healthiest to end the marriage through divorce. To learn more about the divorce process, schedule your free legal consultation with the experienced Kane County divorce lawyers at the Goostree Law Group.

Sources:

http://www.statisticbrain.com/arranged-marriage-statistics/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-science-behind-behavior/201511/why-are-so-many-indian-arranged-marriages-successful