How Long Does the Average Relationship Last?

Are you in a relationship that’s on the rocks?

Maybe your relationship is going swimmingly well, but you might be scared it’s too good to be true.

If you’re unsure of where you stand, it’s easy to look at famous celebrities and compare their relationships to yours. You might find yourself flicking through lifestyle magazines like cosmopolitan and even going to forum websites like Reddit and Quora.

Ultimately, you probably want to know how long the average relationship lasts – and whether your relationship with your partner meets the standard for an average relationship.

Keep reading to find out!

Table of Contents

Duration of the Average Relationship

According to a survey done by Vouchercodes.co.uk written in Daily Mail, 1,953 adults in the UK were asked questions on their relationships.

The standard answer was that most relationships had a duration of 2 years and 9 months. Plus, around 54% of those relationships that ended said that social media was a huge part of the reason for breaking up.

While 2 years and 9 months might be short, it was way longer in 2008! According to a poll conducted by the Observer mentioned in The Guardian, the average relationship lasted 15 years, which is quite a huge difference.

Don’t Take the Statistics to Heart

What we just mentioned in the last paragraph were statistics from the UK – which doesn’t account for the other 194 countries that exist in the world, and those who are doing long-distance or cross-cultural relationships.

Plus, the data you see online is not accountable for the global population. In fact, if it was, there’d have to be many longitudinal studies done over a lifetime. Likewise, it does not take into account the relationships that never break up and those who are happily married for a lifetime.

But, when we’re experiencing a sense of self-doubt in ourselves, it’s very easy to pull out the negative points and try to find something to back up our thoughts. Plus, the data you see may not even be that valid either! The results of studies may be manipulated to support their hypothesis.

Why Are You Trying to Fit Your Relationship Into a Statistic?

Your relationship shouldn’t be another number. If you’re looking at the duration, you’re already setting yourself up for a big failure.

You shouldn’t be putting all your energy into something negative. Once you know the statistic, your mind is counting down the days, weeks, months, and years till it could potentially end.

Let’s Get Something Straight

If you’re miserable in your relationship, then leave right now. But, if you love the person, you’re with and want to do something to save it, remember that relationships require a lot of work. They’re no fairytale that unfolds for the remainder of your life.

To help you stick at it and make your relationship last, here are some articles to help you identify some hurdles you might be facing in your relationship and how to overcome them:

The Bottom Line

Never look at others’ relationships or statistics around you to see how long your own relationship will last. When you do, you could be setting your own relationship up for failure. Statistics don’t take into consideration personal issues, cultures, countries, or anything else.

Plus, there haven’t been enough longitudinal studies carried out to support the positive side of relationships. If you do feel like your relationship can be saved, then you need to focus on communication and being there for your partner.

After all, no relationship is ever smooth sailing. There are so many things that can come in the way as a couple – but that’s the beauty of relationships. You overcome them together, and become stronger than you once were.

If you feel your relationship is falling apart, check out how you can to fix it. Don’t give up!