The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has carried out a recent survey into cohabitation, marriage and divorce in America, reports Yahoo! News.

The study found that around half of first time marriages break up within 20 years. The research also found that engaged couples living together before marriage were no more likely to get divorced than couples who got married before they moved in together.

Commenting on the study findings regarding cohabitation, Casey Copen, lead author of the study, said; "It's not playing as big a role in predicting divorce as it used to."

However, according to Yahoo!, couples that eventually got married after cohabiting for a time without being engaged were found to have a greater risk of divorce.