List of countries by marriage and divorce rates

This is a list of countries by marriage and divorce rates, where divorce demography is the study of divorce statistics in a population.

Metrics

There are three ratios used for divorce rate calculations: crude divorce rate, refined divorce rate, and divorce-to-marriage ratio. Each of these calculations has weaknesses and can be misleading.[1]

Crude divorce rate

This is divorces per 1,000 population per year.[1] For example, if a city has 10,000 people living in it, and 30 couples divorce in one year, then the crude divorce rate for that year is 3 divorces per 1,000 residents.The crude divorce rate can give a general overview of marriage in an area, but it does not take people who cannot marry into account. For example, it would include young children, who are clearly not of marriageable age in its sample. In a place with large numbers of children or single adults, the crude divorce rate can seem low. In a place with few children and single adults, the crude divorce rate can seem high.

Refined divorce rate

This measures the number of divorces per 1,000 women married to men, so that all unmarried persons are left out of the calculation.[1] For example, if that same city of 10,000 people has 3,000 married women, and 30 couples divorce in one year, then the refined divorce rate is 10 divorces per 1,000 married women.

Divorce-to-marriage ratio

This compares the number of divorces in a given year to the number of marriages in that same year (the ratio of the crude divorce rate to the crude marriage rate).[1] For example, if there are 500 divorces and 1,000 marriages in a given year in a given area, the ratio would be one divorce for every two marriages, e.g. a ratio of 0.50 (50%).However, this measurement compares two unlike populations – those who can marry and those who can divorce. Say there exists a community with 100,000 married couples, and very few people capable of marriage, for reasons such as age. If 1,000 people obtain divorces and 1,000 people get married in the same year, the ratio is one divorce for every marriage, which may lead people to think that the community's relationships are extremely unstable, despite the number of married people not changing. This is also true in reverse: a community with very many people of marriageable age may have 10,000 marriages and 1,000 divorces, leading people to believe that it has very stable relationships.

Furthermore, these two rates are not directly comparable since the marriage rate only examines the current year, while the divorce rate examines the outcomes of marriages for many previous years. This does not equate to the proportion of marriages in a given single-year cohort that will ultimately end in divorce. In any given year, underlying rates may change, and this can affect the ratio. For example, during an economic downturn, some couples might postpone a divorce because they can't afford to live separately. These individual choices could seem to temporarily improve the divorce-to-marriage ratio.

Statistics

Divorce statistics by country/region (per 1,000 population / year)
Country/region Continent Rate Ratio (%) Data Source Year
Marriage Divorce
 Albania Europe 7.0 1.1 15.71 2021[2]
 Algeria Africa 10.1 1.6 15.84 2013[3]
 Andorra Europe 4.7 2.7 57.45 2023[4]
 Australia (more info) Oceania 3.5 2.2 62.86 2021[4]
 Austria Europe 5.0 1.6 32 2023[2]
 Azerbaijan Asia 9.7 1.5 15.46 2011[5][6]
 Bahamas North America 6.1 1.0 16.39 2007[5][6]
 Belarus Europe 6.1 3.7 60.66 2023[4]
 Belgium (more info) Europe 4.0 1.7 42.5 2023[2]
 Bermuda 4.9 1.9 38.78 2021[4]
 Bosnia and Herzegovina Europe 5.4 0.8 14.81 2019[4]
 Brazil South America 6.6 1.4 21.21 2009[7]
 Brunei Asia 5.6 1.6 28.57 2023[4]
 Bulgaria Europe 3.4 1.4 41.18 2023[2]
 Canada (more info) North America 2.6 1.1 42.31 2020[4]
 Chile (more info) South America 2.7 1.8 66.67 2021[8]
 China (more info) Asia 7.2 3.2 44.44 2018[citation needed]
 Colombia South America 1.4 0.6 42.86 2022[8]
 Costa Rica North America 4.2 2.6 61.9 2023[4]
 Croatia Europe 4.5 1.1 24.44 2023[2]
 Cuba (more info) North America 3.7 1.6 43.24 2021[4]
 Cyprus Asia 8.9 2.6 29.21 2019[2]
 Czech Republic Europe 4.4 1.8 40.91 2023[2]
 Denmark Europe 4.7 2.2 46.81 2021[2]
 Dominican Republic North America 4.4 2.4 54.55 2023[4]
 Ecuador South America 5.6 1.1 19.64 2006[9]
 Egypt (more info) Africa 8.6 2.4 27.91 2021[4]
 El Salvador North America 3.5 0.8 22.86 2006[9]
 Estonia Europe 4.7 1.9 40.43 2023[2]
 European Union 4.0 1.6 40 2023[2]
 Faroe Islands 4.1 1.2 29.27 2023[4]
 Finland Europe 3.7 2.1 56.76 2023[2]
 France Europe 3.7 1.9 51.35 2016[2]
 Georgia Asia 6.0 3.7 61.67 2023[2]
 Germany (more info) Europe 4.3 1.7 39.53 2021[2]
 Gibraltar 6.7 3.2 47.76 2010[5][6]
 Grenada North America 5.0 1.1 22 2001[9]
 Greece Europe 3.9 1.5 38.46 2023[2]
 Guatemala North America 3.8 1.2 31.58 2008[5][6]
 Hungary Europe 5.2 1.8 34.62 2023[2]
 Iceland Europe 5.0 1.9 38 2020[2]
 India (more info) Asia 10 0.1 1 ?[10]
 Iran (more info) Asia 6.5 2.4 36.92 2021[4]
 Iraq Asia Unknown 2.24 2024[11]
 Ireland Europe 4.6 0.7 15.22 2017[2]
 Israel (more info) Asia 5.5 1.7 30.91 2021[4]
 Italy Europe 3.1 1.4 45.16 2023[2]
 Jamaica North America 6.1 1.2 19.67 2018[4]
 Japan (more info) Asia 4.1 1.5 36.59 2022[8]
 Jordan Asia 5.6 1.7 30.36 2022[4]
 Kazakhstan Asia 6.5 2.3 35.38 2022[12]
 Kuwait Asia 2.8 1.6 57.14 2023[4]
 Kyrgyzstan Asia 7.0 1.8 25.71 2022[12]
 Latvia Europe 5.6 2.8 50 2023[2]
 Lebanon Asia 9.5 1.6 16.84 2007[5][6]
 Libya Africa 10.8 2.5 23.15 2008[13]
 Liechtenstein Europe 5.5 2.1 38.18 2020[4]
 Lithuania Europe 4.9 2.5 51.02 2023[2]
 Luxembourg Europe 3.8 2.0 52.63 2023[2]
 Macau 4.6 1.9 41.3 2023[4]
 Malaysia Asia 6.6 1.3 19.7 2021[4]
 Maldives Asia Unknown 5.52 2023[4]
 Malta (more info) Europe 4.8 0.9 18.75 2022[2]
 Mauritius Africa 6.9 2.1 30.43 2023[4]
 Mexico North America 3.9 1.3 33.33 2022[8]
 Moldova Europe 6.4 3.9 60.94 2023[2]
 Mongolia Asia 5.0 1.4 28 2023[4]
 Montenegro Europe 5.2 1.2 23.08 2021[2]
 Netherlands Europe 3.8 1.4 36.84 2023[2]
 New Zealand (more info) Oceania 3.6 1.5 41.67 2023[4]
 Nicaragua North America 4.5 0.8 17.78 2005[9]
 North Macedonia Europe 6.8 1.0 14.71 2021[2]
 Norway (more info) Europe 3.3 1.8 54.55 2021[2]
 Panama North America 3.0 1.2 40 2021[4]
 Peru South America 2.3 0.4 17.39 2021[4]
 Poland (more info) Europe 4.0 1.6 40 2023[2]
 Portugal Europe 3.5 1.6 45.71 2023[2]
 Puerto Rico North America 4.0 2.6 65 2019[4]
 Qatar Asia 3.3 1.1 33.33 2011[5][6]
 Romania Europe 5.8 1.2 20.69 2023[2]
 Russia Europe 5.3 3.9 73.58 2020[14][15]
 Saint Lucia North America 2.8 0.7 25 2004[9]
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines North America 5.8 0.8 13.79 2007[5][6]
 San Marino Europe 6.1 2.5 40.98 2011[5][6]
 Saudi Arabia Asia 5.6 2.1 37.5 2020[16]
 Serbia Europe 4.8 1.5 31.25 2023[2]
 Seychelles Africa 13.7 1.8 13.14 2023[4]
 Singapore (more info) Asia 7.1 1.9 26.76 2021[4]
 Slovakia Europe 4.9 1.5 30.61 2023[2]
 Slovenia Europe 3.0 1.0 33.33 2023[2]
 South Africa (more info) Africa 3.5 0.6 17.14 2009[7]
 South Korea (more info) Asia 3.8 1.8 47.37 2023[4]
 Spain Europe 3.5 1.6 45.71 2023[2]
 Sri Lanka Asia 6.9 ? 2023[4]
 Sudan Africa 4.6 1.5 32.61 2018[4]
 Suriname South America 4.2 1.3 30.95 2007[5][6]
 Sweden Europe 4.2 2.0 47.62 2023[2]
  Switzerland Europe 4.7 1.8 38.3 2022[2]
 Syria Asia 10.6 1.3 12.26 2006[9]
 Taiwan Asia 5.7 2.3 40.35 2018[17]
 Tajikistan Asia 8.8 1.4 15.91 2019[4]
 Thailand Asia 5.5 1.4 25.45 2005[9]
 Tonga Oceania 7.1 1.2 16.9 2003[9]
 Trinidad and Tobago North America 6.3 2.2 34.92 2005[9][18]
 Turkey Europe 6.6 2.0 30.3 2023[2]
 Ukraine Europe 4.5 3.1 68.89 2020[19][20]
 United Arab Emirates (more info) Asia 2.8 0.7 25 2005[21]
 United Kingdom (more info) Europe 1.3 1.5 115.38 2020[4]
 United States (more info) North America 6.0 2.5 41.67 2021[8]
 Uzbekistan Asia 8.4 1.4 16.67 2022[12]
 Venezuela South America 1.4 0.2 14.29 2019[4]
 Vietnam Asia 5.1 0.2 3.92 2021[4]

Worldwide

Worldwide share of women aged 15–49 who are married or in a union[22]
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024
69.4% 68.5% 67.6% 67.5% 66% 64.7% 63.8%

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d England, J. Lynn; Kunz, Phillip R. (February 1975), "The Application of Age-Specific Rates to Divorce", Journal of Marriage and the Family, 37 (1), Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 37, No. 1: 40–46, doi:10.2307/351029, JSTOR 351029
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al "Marriage and divorce statistics". Eurostat.
  3. ^ "Office National des statistiques - Démographie Algérienne 2014" (PDF). Office National des Statistiques (ONS) 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj "Divorce Rates by Country". worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Marriages and crude marriage rates" (PDF). United Nations Statistical Division (UNSTAT). Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Divorces and crude divorce rates" (PDF). United Nations Statistical Division (UNSTAT). Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  7. ^ a b BRICS Joint Statistical Publication 2012, Chapter 3: Population (PDF). 2012. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-02-28. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Marriages and Divorces". ourworldindata.org. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i "World Marriage Data 2008". United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2009). Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  10. ^ Divorce Rates in the World [Updated 2024]
  11. ^ "Divorce Rates by Country 2024". World Population Review. Archived from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "Uzbekistan Ranks First in Central Asia in Number of Marriages and Last in Divorces". 19 February 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  13. ^ UNESCWA Population Statistics
  14. ^ Обновлено БРАКИ. Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service). 2020. Archived from the original on 2022-03-31. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  15. ^ Обновлено - 09.07.2021: РАЗВОДЫ. Федеральная служба государственной статистики (Federal State Statistics Service). 2020. Archived from the original on 2022-04-01. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  16. ^ Marriage and Divorce Statistics 2020 (PDF). General Authority for Statistics - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 2020.
  17. ^ "An average of 149 couples file for divorce per day in Taiwan in 2018: Data | Taiwan News". 23 June 2019.
  18. ^ United Nations Statistical Division (UNSTAT) 2010
  19. ^ "Data Bank". Ukrstat. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  20. ^ "Data Bank". Ukrstat. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  21. ^ UNESCWA Population Statistics
  22. ^ "Share of women aged 15–49 who are married or in a union". ourworldindata.org. Retrieved 11 January 2026.