For decades, it has been widely believed that women face long-lasting economic difficulties following a divorce. However, a recent study by ISS researcher Thomas Leopold and Matthijs Kalmijn, analyzing data from the German Socio-Economic Panel on more than 3,000 divorces and separations, offers a new perspective. Their study challenges the chronic strain model, which suggests that economic losses for women after divorce are large and persistent.
Instead, the study found that while many women do experience notable financial setbacks immediately following a divorce, a significant portion eventually recovers. Within the first three years after divorce, half of the women had returned to their previous household income levels or even exceeded them. This recovery was facilitated through two primary routes: forming a new partnership (the traditional route) and increasing workforce participation and skills (the modern route).
The study also shows that the presence of children does not necessarily hinder economic recovery as much as previously thought. What stands out is the adaptability and resilience of many women, who successfully navigate their way back to financial stability.
These findings suggest a more nuanced understanding of the economic impacts of divorce on women, portraying them not as victims of enduring financial strain but as active agents capable of recovery. Despite this shift in perspective, the study also highlights a vulnerable group comprising approximately one in ten divorced women. These women—predominantly lower-educated, not working before divorce, with children in the household, and not finding a new partner after divorce—are identified as a key target group for supportive social policies aimed at aiding economic recovery.
While divorce and separation undeniably pose economic challenges, the story for many women is ultimately one of resilience and recovery rather than prolonged hardship.