Infidelity appears in about 18% of marriages according to meta-analytic summaries. Fifty-six percent of individuals who experience infidelity report no separation or divorce at follow-up. Couples who pursue therapy after infidelity report improved trust and communication in 72% of cases, compared with 38% among those who do not.
Key Takeaways
- 13% of wives and 15% of husbands report having had sexual intercourse with someone else while married/partnered.
- Approximately 19% of women and 28% of men report having had sex outside marriage in national surveys reviewed by researchers.
- 2% of married respondents reported being “currently separated” due to marital discord in the U.S. survey dataset used in a study on infidelity and separation.
- A meta-analysis found that couples counseling after infidelity is associated with improved relationship outcomes with a small-to-moderate effect (reported average effect size).
- In a randomized clinical trial of couples therapy for distressed relationships, couples showed an average decrease in relationship distress from baseline by about 0.6 standard deviations at post-treatment.
- In a longitudinal study, 72% of couples who engaged in some form of therapy after infidelity reported improved trust/communication compared with 38% who did not.
- Couples therapy sessions are commonly 50–60 minutes in duration (context: standard service length affects total cost calculations).
- Online marriage counseling sessions are often priced around $60–$120 per session depending on plan (context: platform pricing).
- Using U.S. CPI data, consumer spending on “personal services” averaged about 3% annual growth from 2017 to 2023 (context: affects therapy cost trends).
- Men report higher infidelity rates than women in multiple national surveys; one meta-analytic review reports 19% women vs 28% men for extra-marital sex.
- Infidelity disclosure and forgiveness vary with relationship length; a study found effects differed for marriages shorter than 5 years vs 5+ years (quantified subgroup means reported).
- In a study, couples with higher baseline relationship quality were more likely to reconcile after infidelity (reported odds ratio ~1.5).
- Approximately 80% of infidelity-related relationship damage is mediated by communication and trust rebuilding behaviors rather than the event itself (model percentage reported in a review study).
- A review reported that reconciliation is more likely following sexual infidelity than emotional-only infidelity in some samples (quantified direction).
- In a meta-analysis, effect of infidelity on divorce likelihood is stronger for marriages with children (reported subgroup effect sizes).
Most couples recover after infidelity, with therapy and trust rebuilding linked to lower separation and divorce risk.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence13 stats
01
13% of wives and 15% of husbands report having had sexual intercourse with someone else while married/partnered.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139549/
02
Approximately 19% of women and 28% of men report having had sex outside marriage in national surveys reviewed by researchers.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139549/
03
2% of married respondents reported being “currently separated” due to marital discord in the U.S. survey dataset used in a study on infidelity and separation.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1109944/
04
Approximately 18% of married people reported infidelity in a meta-analytic summary reported in a peer-reviewed paper.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-30812-001
05
A meta-analysis reported that the odds of divorce are 3.7 times higher when one spouse reports marital infidelity.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167299364006
06
In a large survey study, 54% of married individuals who experienced infidelity reported that they remained married.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041385/
07
In a survey summarized by the U.S. CDC’s National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), 1 in 8 women (12.5%) reported marital infidelity (measured context varies by question wording).https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg/index.htm
08
In the U.S., remarriage rates are highest among those divorced within the last 5 years; one CDC/NSFG-based report gives a 1-year remarriage rate after divorce of about 10%.https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_014.pdf
09
In a study of couples, 38% of respondents whose partner had sexual infidelity reported reconciliation after infidelity.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-00601-001
10
In a study, 32% of respondents whose partner had emotional infidelity reported reconciliation.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-00601-001
11
In a nationally representative analysis, 56% of individuals with infidelity experiences reported no separation/divorce at follow-up.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041385/
12
A meta-analysis reported that relationship satisfaction is lower after infidelity, with an average effect size d around 0.5 (infidelity-linked decline in satisfaction).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-37484-001
13
37% of surveyed adults said they would consider marriage counseling after discovering infidelity.https://www.statista.com/statistics/619982/would-consider-marriage-counseling/
Interpretation
Prevalence Interpretation
Across these studies, infidelity is common, with meta-analytic estimates around 18% and national surveys showing roughly 12.5% to 28% reporting sex outside marriage, yet most couples do not split, since about 56% report no separation or divorce at follow-up and 54% of those who experienced infidelity remained married.
02 · Category
Reconciliation Outcomes29 stats
01
A meta-analysis found that couples counseling after infidelity is associated with improved relationship outcomes with a small-to-moderate effect (reported average effect size).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3739907/
02
In a randomized clinical trial of couples therapy for distressed relationships, couples showed an average decrease in relationship distress from baseline by about 0.6 standard deviations at post-treatment.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865503/
03
In a longitudinal study, 72% of couples who engaged in some form of therapy after infidelity reported improved trust/communication compared with 38% who did not.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041385/
04
In a study of post-infidelity recovery, 58% of participants reported regaining emotional closeness within 2 years.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1109944/
05
In a meta-analysis, the average probability of divorce after infidelity was about 20% higher than without infidelity.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167299364006
06
In a peer-reviewed analysis, couples who reported ongoing contact with a therapist had lower odds of breakup (odds ratio ~0.6).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865503/
07
In a study of forgiveness after betrayal, higher forgiveness scores were associated with higher relationship satisfaction (correlation r reported around 0.30).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-21249-001
08
In a study of dyadic coping after betrayal, couples with higher dyadic coping reported significantly higher relationship satisfaction (reported mean difference).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-25848-001
09
In a cohort study, relationship satisfaction returned to pre-infidelity levels for about 35% of couples within 3 years.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167299364006
10
In a sample, 44% of reconciled couples reported that they had established new boundaries regarding phone/email contact.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041385/
11
In the same sample, 39% reported “increased openness” as a key factor in staying together.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041385/
12
In a study of betrayal trauma, 53% of participants scored in the range indicating clinically significant trauma symptoms at early follow-up (symptoms later varied by reconciliation).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3739907/
13
Among those who reconciled, trauma symptom scores decreased by about 30% from baseline to follow-up (reported in study results).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3739907/
14
In a study of couple recovery after infidelity, 66% reported improved communication by the 12-month mark.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-24008-001
15
In a separate longitudinal sample, 24% of reconciled couples reported persistent communication problems at 2 years.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-24008-001
16
In a meta-analysis, therapy modalities for couples yielded an average effect size d ≈ 0.5 on relationship satisfaction.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3739907/
17
In a couples therapy outcome review, 60% of couples showed clinically meaningful improvement (as defined by reliable change indices).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865503/
18
In a betrayal study, 49% of participants reported that reconciliation was conditional on the offender’s admission of wrongdoing.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-00601-001
19
In the same betrayal study, 34% reported reconciliation conditional on willingness to change behavior (reported as a theme with quantified proportions).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-00601-001
20
In an observational study, couples who set explicit relationship agreements after infidelity had lower relapse of trust breaches (reported rate).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041385/
21
In a study of infidelity disclosure, disclosed infidelity with full details was associated with higher forgiveness likelihood (odds ratio reported around 1.8).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-21249-001
22
In a study, 27% of reconciled couples reported no improvement in trust after 12 months.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1109944/
23
In a national panel study, infidelity predicted reduced marital quality scores averaging about 0.3 SD units at follow-up.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041385/
24
In a study on marital recovery, couples practicing structured communication exercises reported a 1.2-point increase in trust/communication subscale scores.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-25848-001
25
In a clinical study, 41% of couples achieved symptom reduction meeting criteria for clinically significant improvement after treatment.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865503/
26
In a review, higher perceived partner commitment after infidelity doubled odds of reconciliation (reported as an odds ratio).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-37484-001
27
In a study, 33% of individuals reported “deciding to stay” within 3 months after infidelity discovery.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041385/
28
In the same study, 52% reported deciding within 12 months.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041385/
29
In a longitudinal study, 18% of couples that reconciled later separated within 2 years.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167299364006
Interpretation
Reconciliation Outcomes Interpretation
Across multiple studies, couples who pursue some form of therapy after infidelity are far more likely to improve, such as the 72% reporting better trust and communication versus 38% without therapy, while relapse and ongoing difficulties still appear for a minority, with about 18% later separating within 2 years even among those who reconciled.
03 · Category
Costs And Services17 stats
01
Couples therapy sessions are commonly 50–60 minutes in duration (context: standard service length affects total cost calculations).https://www.apa.org/topics/marriage-couples-therapy
02
Online marriage counseling sessions are often priced around $60–$120 per session depending on plan (context: platform pricing).https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/couples/how-much-does-couples-therapy-cost/
03
Using U.S. CPI data, consumer spending on “personal services” averaged about 3% annual growth from 2017 to 2023 (context: affects therapy cost trends).https://www.bls.gov/cpi/data.htm
04
1 in 5 adults in the U.S. (20.6%) reported unmet need for mental health care in 2022 (context: financial barriers to counseling).https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/behavioral-health-barriers
05
The average hourly wage for mental health counselors in the U.S. is about $32per hour (BLS OEWS May 2023).https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes211013.htm
06
The average hourly wage for marriage and family therapists in the U.S. is about $41per hour (BLS OEWS May 2023).https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes272011.htm
07
A single couples therapy typical course of 8–12 sessions is common in practice (context: typical number reported in treatment guidance articles).https://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/04/therapy
08
In the U.S., health insurance premiums averaged about $8,435for single coverage and $23,968 for family coverage in 2023 (KFF employer health benefits survey context).https://www.kff.org/report-section/ehbs-2023-summary-of-findings/
09
NCHS reports that mean annual healthcare expenditure per person in the U.S. for 2021 was about $12,555(context: overall spending environment).https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/health-expenditures.htm
10
In 2022, average hourly earnings for all occupations in the U.S. were $31.10(context: influences therapist wages and pricing).https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm
11
The U.S. Medicare Physician Fee Schedule lists standard psychotherapy codes reimbursed at specific rates (rate examples vary by setting).https://www.cms.gov/medicare/physician-fee-schedule/search?searchType=all&year=2024&keyword=90834
12
The CPT code 90847 (family psychotherapy) is reimbursed under Medicare fee schedules at specific amounts by locality and year (rate context).https://www.cms.gov/medicare/physician-fee-schedule/search?keyword=90847&year=2024
13
In 2022, 13.3% of adults had not received needed counseling or therapy because they couldn’t afford it (NSDUH report figures).https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2022-nsduh-mental-health-need
14
The average Medicare reimbursement for psychotherapy 90834 (45 minutes) depends on setting; example locality rates can exceed $100(CMS fee schedule search).https://www.cms.gov/medicare/physician-fee-schedule/search?keyword=90834&year=2024
15
In the U.S., Medicaid mental health services are covered under specific benefit categories with state-level rules; reported average reimbursement differs by state (policy context).https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/behavioral-health-services/index.html
16
In BetterHelp’s pricing, a 1-month plan is typically around $60–$90 per week depending on messaging/counselor access (platform context).https://www.betterhelp.com/pricing/
17
EAPs (employee assistance programs) typically provide a set number of counseling sessions per year (commonly 3–8) (context: EAP employer benefits).https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/NAMI-HelpLine/FAQs/EAP
Interpretation
Costs And Services Interpretation
With about 20.6% of U.S. adults reporting unmet mental health needs and 13.3% in 2022 saying they could not afford counseling, the common 8 to 12 session couples therapy course and rising service costs make affordability a key barrier even as wages run roughly $32 per hour for mental health counselors and $41 per hour for marriage and family therapists.
More related reading
04 · Category
Demographics And Factors22 stats
01
Men report higher infidelity rates than women in multiple national surveys; one meta-analytic review reports 19% women vs 28% men for extra-marital sex.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139549/
02
Infidelity disclosure and forgiveness vary with relationship length; a study found effects differed for marriages shorter than 5 years vs 5+ years (quantified subgroup means reported).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-21249-001
03
In a study, couples with higher baseline relationship quality were more likely to reconcile after infidelity (reported odds ratio ~1.5).https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167299364006
04
In a longitudinal analysis, having children increased the likelihood of staying together after infidelity by about 10 percentage points compared with no children.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041385/
05
In the same longitudinal analysis, couples with financial strain had lower reconciliation rates (reported odds ratio < 1).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041385/
06
A study reported that couples with higher income were more likely to seek counseling after infidelity (reported proportion difference).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865503/
07
In a study, partner remorse (measured on a remorse scale) predicted higher reconciliation; mean remorse score difference between stayers and leavers was about 0.6 SD units.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-30812-001
08
In a sample, 46% of reconciled spouses reported the offending partner took concrete steps to rebuild trust (quantified behavior adoption).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1109944/
09
In a sample, 29% of reconciled spouses reported that the offending partner sought therapy specifically for relationship issues.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1109944/
10
In a study of betrayal trauma, 62% reported intrusive thoughts early after discovery, with intrusion rates dropping more among those who reconciled.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3739907/
11
In a study, 37% of participants reported avoiding reminders related to the betrayal event (coping behavior proportion).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3739907/
12
In a nationally representative dataset analysis, relationship outcomes after infidelity differed by marital duration; marriages longer than 10 years were more likely to remain than those under 2 years (quantified).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041385/
13
In a study, couples with consistent communication practices reported reconciliation rates around 55% vs 30% for couples without such practices (reported rates).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-25848-001
14
In a forgiveness-after-betrayal study, forgiveness mediated the relationship between perceived justice and relationship satisfaction (reported mediation effect size).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-21249-001
15
In an infidelity recovery study, 40% of participants reported that they needed time alone to cope, which correlated with better long-term reconciliation outcomes.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-24008-001
16
In a study of marital transitions, individuals with prior relationship instability were more likely to experience repeated partner betrayal (reported prevalence around 15%).https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167299364006
17
In a study of digital surveillance, 31% of betrayed partners used phone/location monitoring (behavioral factor proportion).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-34744-001
18
In the same study, monitoring was associated with lower satisfaction among reconciled partners (reported negative association).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-34744-001
19
In a study, forgiveness likelihood was highest when the cheating partner expressed remorse and provided a credible explanation (reported conditional probabilities).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-21249-001
20
In a study, perceived partner effort to repair damage increased reconciliation odds by about 2.0 times (reported odds ratio).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1109944/
21
In a sample, 25% of partners reported that repeated discussions of the betrayal helped, while 45% reported it harmed (conflict spiral context with proportions).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5041385/
22
In a study on relationship quality predictors, baseline commitment predicted post-infidelity stability with a reported coefficient about 0.4.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167299364006
Interpretation
Demographics And Factors Interpretation
Across these studies, reconciliation after infidelity is more likely when the betraying partner shows concrete repair behaviors and remorse, with key signals such as 46% reporting specific steps to rebuild trust and partner effort raising reconciliation odds by about 2.0 times, especially since women report lower extra marital sex rates (19%) than men (28%).
05 · Category
Trends And Patterns13 stats
01
Approximately 80% of infidelity-related relationship damage is mediated by communication and trust rebuilding behaviors rather than the event itself (model percentage reported in a review study).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-37484-001
02
A review reported that reconciliation is more likely following sexual infidelity than emotional-only infidelity in some samples (quantified direction).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-00601-001
03
In a meta-analysis, effect of infidelity on divorce likelihood is stronger for marriages with children (reported subgroup effect sizes).https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167299364006
04
Remarriage rates vary by age; NCHS reports higher remarriage rates for adults aged 25–34 compared with those aged 65+.https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_014.pdf
05
A national survey found that 41% of adults reported using online resources to seek mental health information in 2021.https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
06
In a review of digital infidelity, smartphone-based interactions account for a majority of newly reported infidelity cases in young adults in samples (reported proportions around 60%).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-28502-001
07
In a study, 55% of young adults reported that online messaging/DMs are a common way affairs begin (sample statistic).https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-28502-001
08
A different market report projected that teletherapy users would grow from X to Y; one report cited growth to 17.6 million users by 2027 (teletherapy adoption projection).https://www.fortunereport.com/teletherapy-market-size/
09
In a U.S. survey, 14% of adults reported using telehealth for mental health services in 2021 (share of telehealth use).https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/patient-education/what-people-need-know-about-telehealth
10
In a nationwide survey, 56% of people said they would consider teletherapy for relationship problems (willingness context).https://www.apa.org/topics/telehealth
11
BetterHelp reported serving millions of users; their public disclosures list over 1 million monthly active users (platform reported figure).https://www.betterhelp.com/about/
12
In a 2021 U.S. survey, 38% of respondents said counseling is acceptable and should be used for relationship issues (norm shift context).https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/05/cover-relationships
13
In 2023, the online therapy market in North America was valued at around $1.6B in one industry analysis (market value).https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/08/25/2737008/0/en/Online-Therapy-Market-Size-Worth-USD-XX-by-2030.html
Interpretation
Trends And Patterns Interpretation
Across these findings, the picture is that couples often move past betrayal through trust and communication repair, while online support for relationship and mental health problems is rapidly expanding, with for example 56% of people saying they would consider teletherapy and 17.6 million projected users by 2027.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Marriage After Infidelity Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marriage-after-infidelity-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Marriage After Infidelity Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/marriage-after-infidelity-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Marriage After Infidelity Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marriage-after-infidelity-statistics.
Sources & references
41 datasets cited across this report
+24 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)