Why divorce is more likely when women make more money

What you probably already know: Last year, American adults were less likely to be married than at almost any point since record-keeping began in 1940. The U.S. also has more divorced people: 10.8% of women and 8.4% of men were divorced in 2024, up from 2.4% and 2%, respectively, in 1950. Lack of commitment, conflict or arguing, and infidelity are the leading causes couples cite for splitting, but unequal earning power is rising in the ranks. Making more money than a man is also deterring many women from tying the knot in the first place.

Why? Divorce rates are three times higher (31 vs. 11 per 1,000) among straight marriages with a female main breadwinner than marriages with a man who earns the most, according to Divorce.com data reported by Fortune. The divorce rate is twice as high (54 vs. 20 per 1,000) among single-income households with female breadwinners. Just 16% of homes have female main earners, but they reportedly account for 42% of divorces. The trend coincides with an increasing number of women who make at least as much as their husbands — a figure that’s tripled in the last 50 years to 29%, a Pew Research Center report found. It’s important to note that, though the rate is still high, couples with a female breadwinner are less likely to divorce than they were in the late 1960s and 1970s.

What it means: A woman’s success is no longer determined by antiquated standards. Where marriage and family stability once dominated society’s expectations, career achievements now play a central role. The share of financially independent women is on the rise and the stigma surrounding divorce is evaporating. This means women are “more willing to leave unsatisfied marriages instead of staying out of necessity,” said Divorce.com CEO and founder Liz Pharo. Free from societal expectations and financial dependence, women are empowered to be pickier in the search for love — or to walk away from a relationship altogether.

What happens now? Fewer American women are prioritizing marriage as a pillar of success in adulthood. A 2023 Pew survey found 48% of women didn’t think marriage was important for a fulfilling life, up from 31% in 2019. Staying single is a deliberate choice for many women as focus shifts toward self-fulfillment and friendship, but for others, the pool of options just isn’t attractive. Financially stable women are often exhausted by the dating slog, partly due to a disproportionate number of candidates who still see women as secondary breadwinners or traditional family caretakers. A 2022 Pew survey of single adults found 34% of single women were looking for romance, compared to 54% of single men. In 2019, those figures were 38% and 61%, respectively. Men need to catch up when it comes to embracing — and encouraging — a woman’s ambition, or these gaps will continue to widen.