"No one owns anyone": Divorces after 60, a growing trend defying societal judgment

Berta Scardini, at 73, reflects on her divorce after 42 years of marriage. The decision came after a difficult period caring for a sick child, where she felt she bore the burden alone. "If I was alone for that, I could continue alone," she realized. Now living in Santa Clara del Mar, she feels liberated and sees her separation not as a failure, but as a realization. "Once I separated, I realized I had been subjugated for 42 years," she states, adding, "I don't believe in love for a lifetime."

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If I was alone for that, I could continue alone.

Scardini's experience is not an isolated case but part of a growing trend in Buenos Aires. Data from the City's Statistics and Census Institute (Idecba) shows a sustained rise in late-life divorces over the past 15 years. In 2025, men over 60 accounted for 18.4% of all divorces, a significant increase from 11.8% in 2009. For women in the same age group, the figure rose from 7.7% to 12.1%.

These statistics often represent decades-long unions. In 2025, of the 867 men over 60 who divorced in the city, 651 were from marriages lasting 20 years or more. The proportion was even higher for women, with 470 out of 570 divorcing after two decades or more together. These are not hasty decisions but the uncoupling of lives built together over a lifetime, often occurring as individuals approach old age.

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Once I separated, I realized I had been subjugated for 42 years.

Several factors contribute to this normalization of divorce among older adults. The Buenos Aires open data portal also tracks daily divorce registrations, offering further insight into this evolving social dynamic. While Berta advises those considering separation to have high self-esteem, her sentiment of newfound freedom resonates with a generation increasingly questioning the expectation of lifelong marriage.

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I don't believe in love for a lifetime.