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That's very often probably because there was a reason they didn't get married in the first place, but after a while they did just because their partner(usually the woman) demanded it, or as a sort of convenience or to make things look good for the kids, not because they're really any better for each other. A lot of the time you're probably comparing apples to oranges here.
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You are the one comparing apples and oranges. That was my point. Statistically length of time in a relationship prior to marriage does not equate to better marriage outcomes. My assertion as an economist is I have never seen any data linking length of relationship and divorce rates. If you have evidence to the contrary - produce it and I stand willing to be corrected.
For instance:
From my grad school