Can You Guess What the Number One Cause of Divorce Is?
BY
ELIZA KRPOYAN
JULY 7, 2014 11:15 AM

Ever since the 1970s, the rate of divorce has been between 40 and 50 percent. While there are a few things that have duked it out as the most common cause, this study by the Austin Institute claims infidelity is number one.

The study also showed that women were more prone to wanting out of the marriage, with 55 percent saying that they were the ones who wanted their marriages to end. To back that up, 42 percent of men admitted that their spouse wanted the marriage to end more than they did.

The number two reason for divorce? Unresponsiveness. As a friend of mine once put it, a relationship is like caring for a plant. Even if you’re not cheating on your plant (stay with me), if you’re not watering it and making sure it gets enough sunshine, it will wilt…and (for dramatic effect) die. Get where we’re going with all that?

The study also revealed that most people who wanted a divorce cited several reasons, not just one. Here’s the full list of the most common:

Infidelity by either party: 37%
Spouse unresponsive to your needs: 32%
Grew tired of making a poor match work: 30%
Spouse’s immaturity: 30%
Emotional abuse: 29%
Financial priorities/spending patterns: 24%
Alcohol and drug abuse: 23%

Knowing that infidelity usually leads to divorce, do you think that cheaters are just looking for a way out? Were you surprised that infidelity took the No. 1 spot?