Men are more likely to remarry than women although the gap has narrowed. In 1966 widowed or divorced men were three times as likely as widowed or divorced women to remarry. In 1993 they were twice as likely. This reflects the ageing of the population, the longer life expectancy of women than men and the tendency for men to marry someone younger than themselves. Women 80 years or more outnumbered men 80 years or more by about 2 to 1.
Women tend to wait longer than men to remarry.
In 1993 the median interval to remarriage for widowed women was 5.7 years compared to 4.0 years for men. Among divorced people the median intervals were 3.2 years for women and 2.8 years for men. These intervals have changed little in recent years. The decline in the remarriage rate also reflects the increased likelihood of de facto relationships either as an alternative to remarriage or before remarriage. Previously divorced people, on average, also spent a longer period in de facto relationships than those who were in their first marriage.