health

Researchers find the age you should get married if you want it to last.

We all want our relationships to go the distance – but it turns out that the key to staying together could come down to what age you were when you tied the knot.

University of Utah researcher Nicholas Wolfinger believes he has found the “right” age to get married, after he studied data from the National Survey of Family Growth from 2006-2010.

His findings? Couples should get hitched between the ages of 28 and 32, as this age window led to a lower divorce rate.

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"The key to staying together could come down to what age you were when you tied the knot." Image via iStock.

"The odds of divorce decline as you age from your teenage years through your late twenties and early thirties...Thereafter, the chances of divorce go up again as you move into your late thirties and early forties," he wrote.

But not everyone agrees. Leading UK marital therapist Andrew G Marshall told The Independent that he believes searching for the perfect age for marriage is a case of wishful thinking.

"I think the best age to get married is when you’re both ready and want to do it. Marriage is a wonderful institution. Because living together is a private arrangement, whereas getting married is a public one: it brings your partner into your family, and provides them with more loving support," he said.

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"I think the best age to get married is when you’re both ready and want to do it." Image via iStock.

"It also makes you think twice before you separate, and that’s generally a good thing. We choose people for a reason, and that reason is normally growth. And growth involves conflict, which we're often terrified of, but actually it’s really good for us," he continued.

Marshall is probably on to something - if you're thinking of getting married, you should probably be more worried about whether you're both ready to take the plunge, rather than stressing about being the perfect age.

Do you believe there is a "right" age to get married? 

TAP on the image below and scroll through the gallery for some gorgeous shots of celebrity engagement rings...