The number of divorces worldwide is downward in most places worldwide.
For example, while divorce rates increased during the 1970s and decreased in the 21st century in many countries, others—like Norway, the UK, and Canada—experienced a slight but steady increase in the number of divorced couples.
Western societies (the US and Europe) traditionally have higher divorce rates than Asia and Latin America.
For instance, the crude divorce rates (meaning a rate calculated by dividing the total number of cases in a given period by the total number of persons in the population) in the US for 2021 and 2022 were 2.5 and 2.4, respectively; in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, it was 1.6.
Some scholars believe that high divorce rates in Western countries are a result of the diminished stigma associated with divorce and increased financial independence among women.
However, this perspective is not entirely accurate, as many women still suffer financially due to divorce.
The divorce rate in the US is expected to decrease over the next five years. That said, some age groups are more likely to divorce than others.
For example, divorce rates are exceptionally high among people aged 50-75, which is called a “gray divorce.” However, the number of divorces is decreasing for couples who marry at a later age and have a high school or college education.
Based on 2022 data, the average divorce rate worldwide is expected to decrease.
In 2022, using the available data on marriage and divorce, the rate was 1.6 per 1,000 people. Many countries' data on the number of divorces for 2023 is pending, but based on the collected data for 56 countries, the average crude divorce rate in the world was about 1.8 per 1,000 people in 2023.
Several factors influence a country’s low divorce rate. Things like religion, local divorce laws, and lack of social support and employment opportunities for the divorced population can lower the likelihood that couples will divorce.
Moreover, there are regional peculiarities affecting divorce in each country.
For example, married women in sub-Saharan African countries do not get divorced because their families will have to return the “bride price” (dowry) that the husband’s family paid before the wedding.
According to 2022 statistical reports and several surveys, the following countries have the lowest divorce rates:
India has the lowest divorce rate worldwide in 2022, estimated to be 0.01 (around 1%) for 1,000 people. Moreover, the country held the lowest global divorce rates in 2020 (0.022) and 2021 (0.077).
There are factors that influence a high divorce rate, too.
For example, countries with the highest divorce rates usually have fast and inexpensive divorce processes. Divorce is neither quick nor affordable in the U.S., a more educated population, and gender equality regarding employment opportunities for women.
The most common reasons for divorce in these countries include:
Below are the twelve countries with the highest divorce rates worldwide through 2022 data:
The first place among the countries with the highest divorce rates belongs to Maldives, which was 5.5 in 2022, according to the World Population Review.
Several factors can explain such an increased number of divorces.
First, the divorce process is relatively straightforward and inexpensive in Maldives. Second, women have become more financially independent and can sustain themselves without husbands.
Also, there is little to no stigma associated with getting divorced in modern Maldives.
Divorce rates vary significantly worldwide.
Western industrialized countries have more divorces than highly religious Asian and African countries and those with gender inequality and social stigma about divorce.
Here is the divorce rate distribution in different countries from the most recent data:
Divorce rates in European countries have traditionally been higher compared to other parts of the world.
According to the reports, Gov.uk, and World Population Review, the crude divorce rates in Europe are the following:
The data shows that divorce rates are higher in Northern Europe and the Russian Federation and lower in other parts. The EU countries with the highest divorce rates are Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Luxembourg.
Some researchers believe that the more religious the society, the more stable the family units. For instance, Ireland and Italy, having conservative Roman Catholic beliefs, have the least divorces in Europe.
While this can be true, religion is not the critical factor influencing marriage stability. Another significant driver is the low cost of divorce in countries like Denmark and Sweden, where spouses can get divorced for roughly $100.
In comparison, the cost of filing a divorce petition in the UK is around $600.
However, the low divorce costs are not the only reason for higher divorce rates. The spouses in Northern European countries are less dependent on each other financially. For example, more than 58% of Danish women aged 15-64 are employed compared to 40% in Italy and 43% in Greece, according to OECD data.
Consequently, more employment opportunities and higher income make women less likely to stay in an unsatisfactory marriage for financial considerations.
Divorce rates in Eastern Europe (Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine) are higher than in other parts for many of the same reasons. These include the low cost of the divorce process, financial instability and poverty, and, in some cases, alcoholism of one of the spouses.
Divorce rates in Asian countries have been changing in recent decades. There are a few socio-economic switches at work here, such as the increasing female educational enrollment and labor force participation.
According to research on divorce trends in Asia, other factors influencing divorce rates in this region are higher age at first marriage, changes in civil laws regulating divorce, and the extent of support for the divorced population.
The divorce rates published in the World Population Report are the following:
Divorce rates vary tremendously in Asian countries, depending on their location.
For example, East Asian countries (Korea, China, Japan) experience more divorces than South and East regions. Moreover, divorce rates have been growing here since 1980 and remain relatively high.
This substantial increase in divorces may be connected with reducing social pressure to stay married and decreasing the stigma of being divorced.
For example, if South Korean men and women were less likely to get employed, these days, they have more employment opportunities and can survive divorce financially.
Additionally, some East Asian societies experience a slight change towards individualism as part of the demographic transition trends.
A notable exception is Vietnam, where divorce is strongly culturally discouraged, especially in the northern and rural areas. As a result, the country’s dissolution rates fell from 0.4 in 2017 to 0.2 in 2022.
The available data also shows that divorce rates in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka) are the lowest in the region. Researchers explain it by gender inequality in these countries, meaning that most women depend on their spouses and cannot return to their parents after divorce.
The US divorce rates have been slowly declining over the past decade. The country reached a 2.4 crude divorce rate per 1,000 people in 2022.
One reason for this downward trend in marriage dissolutions is fewer marriages in the first place. Another factor is that couples start getting married later in life and after reaching a certain level of financial success.
Quick divorce in America facts:
