Yesterday, the Catholic Church’s marriage counselling agency, Accord, released figures which they say demonstrate that there are increasing strains being place upon marriage.

The figures show that the number of people using their marriage counselling services increased and that the number of people reporting financial difficulties, communication issues and stress and anxiety overall had gone up.

But last week, figures released by the Central Statistics Office showed that the number of divorces has actually been decreasing.  

The Vital Statistics report for 2010 shows a seven percent reduction in the number of divorces from the 2009 figures.  

This mirrors a trend in the UK, which has also seen a fall in the divorce.  

So if the pressure on marriage is greater than ever, and seemingly increasing, how can divorce be on the decrease?

Economics provides the answer. Frequently in divorce cases the family home is sold and the assets divided between the spouses.

However, in the current housing market, it is difficult for houses to be sold quickly, and it is often impossible for houses to be sold for enough to purchase adequate housing for each spouse.

In short, many married couples simply cannot afford to get divorced.