More Aussie Baby Boomers than ever are ditching their partners and embracing the single life, with divorce rates in over-60s rising across the country.
The Australian divorce trend mirrors new data released today by the Pew Research Centre in America that shows divorce rates in over-65s have tripled since the 1990s.
It is believed the trend is a result of people living longer, being healthier and more active than previous generations and not wanting to waste the time they have left.
Being 60 nowadays isn’t what it used to be, with retirees travelling the world with fervour and maintaining busy social lives with family and friends.
The kids have grown and moved out of the house and many Boomers are embracing the opportunity for ‘me time’, which often doesn’t include their partner.
Evolving perceptions of divorce mean splitting for good is not as taboo as it once was, too.
Women, while still worse off, are not as financially dependant on their husbands either, making it easier for them to support themselves on a single income.
However, the researches pointed out that living alone at older ages can be detrimental to one’s social life and health.
Older adults who live alone report higher rates of loneliness and isolation and are also at risk of nutritional failures due because they don’t prepare wholesome meals like they would in a family environment.