In a 2003 study, published in the Journal of Family Issues, participants responded to an open-ended question about why they divorced. About 8% of people said they grew apart from their spouse, making it the fourth most common reason in that study.
Growing apart was also the top reason cited in a 2012 study, published in the Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, in which participants chose from a list of potential reasons for divorce. Participants could select more than one reason; more than half said they grew apart.
Psychologist Eli Finkel previously told Business Insider that couples do sometimes grow apart — that's a risk you take when you tie the knot.
Finkel said couples getting married are essentially saying, "We're going to make this promise that says, regardless of all those sorts of changes and even when all those sorts of changes might lead us in a different direction, we are going to work super hard to try to make sure this marriage works."