Seniors with problems are more likely to endure cohabitation

Young people in failing marriages are usually determined to divorce, even if they have difficulty dividing or selling their homes. However, when middle-aged and older couples encounter relationship problems, the challenge of rocketing property prices means they usually choose to abandon the idea of splitting up, according to experts.

"Sky-high house prices in big cities make it hard for some couples to split their apartment in two, which forces them to continue their broken relationship and continue to live together," said Shu Xin, director of the Weiqing Group, a relationship counseling agency in Shanghai.

Lu, a 65-year-old Shanghai native who preferred to only give her surname, said her marriage became rocky soon after she gave birth to her daughter three decades ago, because her husband began to think he was not the girl's biological father.