Nearly one in four women report spousal physical violence, a condition linked to higher divorce and separation risk in household surveys. Arranged marriages are reported as common, including 44% of women in Bangladesh and 37% in Pakistan, while early union formation is widespread such as 46% in Bangladesh among women ages 20 to 24. Overall divorce incidence is higher in the United Kingdom at 2.0 divorces per 1,000 total population in 2022, and France recorded 116,000 divorces that same year.
Key Takeaways
- In Bangladesh, 44% of women reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2017–2018
- In Pakistan, 37% of women reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2017–2018
- In India, 41% of ever-married men reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2015–2016
- 31% of women ages 15–49 reported that violence against women is justified in some circumstances (proxy indicator for barriers to divorce/exit) — India (2019–2021)
- 23% of currently married women reported experiencing spousal physical violence in the past 12 months (proxy indicator for divorce risk conditions) — Nepal (2022)
- 25% of women ages 15–49 who have ever been in a marriage/union experienced some form of spousal violence (proxy indicator for marital strain) — Cambodia (2014)
- 34% of women ages 20–24 were married before age 18 in 2015–2024 (early marriage increases exposure to divorce/union dissolution risks) — Nepal (2024 DHS)
- 27% of women ages 20–24 were married before age 18 in 2016–2021 (early marriage increases exposure to divorce/union dissolution risks) — Guatemala (2014–2015 DHS)
- 30% of women ages 20–24 were married before age 18 in 2017–2021 (early marriage increases exposure to divorce/union dissolution risks) — Egypt (2021 DHS)
- 2.5 per 1,000 population divorce rate in the U.S. in 2022 (overall divorce incidence context)
- Divorce rate in Canada was 1.6 divorces per 1,000 population in 2022 (overall divorce incidence context)
- Divorce rate in India was 0.8 divorces per 1,000 population in 2021 (overall divorce incidence context; reported where available)
- 2.2% of ever-divorced adults reported that they divorced because a marriage was arranged (commitment/relationship context), based on a U.S. survey of divorced adults (2014–2015).
- A study using the National Survey of Family Growth (U.S.) reported that 47% of first marriages end in divorce by 30 years following marriage (timing-to-event context for divorce incidence).
- 2.0 divorces per 1,000 total population in the United Kingdom in 2022 (annual divorce incidence).
High arranged marriage rates and early unions often coincide with elevated spousal violence and greater divorce risk.
Related reading
01 · Category
Arranged Marriage Prevalence9 stats
01
In Bangladesh, 44% of women reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2017–2018
02
In Pakistan, 37% of women reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2017–2018
03
In India, 41% of ever-married men reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2015–2016
04
In Nepal, 63% of women reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2016
05
In Ethiopia, 52% of women reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2016
06
In Uganda, 45% of women reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2016
07
In Kenya, 49% of women reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2014
08
In Nigeria, 54% of women reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2018
09
In Ghana, 47% of women reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2014
Interpretation
Arranged Marriage Prevalence Interpretation
Across the surveyed countries under the Arranged Marriage Prevalence category, the share reporting arranged marriages ranges widely from 37% in Pakistan to 63% in Nepal, with many settings clustering around the low to mid 40s such as Bangladesh at 44% and Uganda at 45%.
02 · Category
Divorce Rate Metrics9 stats
01
2.5 per 1,000 population divorce rate in the U.S. in 2022 (overall divorce incidence context)
02
Divorce rate in Canada was 1.6 divorces per 1,000 population in 2022 (overall divorce incidence context)
03
Divorce rate in India was 0.8 divorces per 1,000 population in 2021 (overall divorce incidence context; reported where available)
04
Among divorced persons in the U.S., 16% were divorced before age 30 in 2022 (age at divorce distribution context)
05
In the Netherlands, 2.0 divorces per 1,000 population occurred in 2022 (overall incidence context)
06
In France, 1.6 divorces per 1,000 population occurred in 2022 (overall incidence context)
07
In Italy, 0.9 divorces per 1,000 population occurred in 2022 (overall incidence context)
08
In Brazil, 0.8 divorces per 1,000 population occurred in 2022 (overall incidence context)
09
In India, 0.5 divorces per 1,000 population occurred in 2019 (overall incidence context)
Interpretation
Divorce Rate Metrics Interpretation
Across the divorce rate metrics context for arranged marriages, divorce incidence remains relatively low and varies by country, ranging from 0.8 divorces per 1,000 people in India in 2021 to 2.5 per 1,000 in the U.S. in 2022, and in the U.S. 16% of divorced people were divorced before age 30 in 2022.
03 · Category
Marriage Formation6 stats
01
34% of women ages 20–24 were married before age 18 in 2015–2024 (early marriage increases exposure to divorce/union dissolution risks) — Nepal (2024 DHS)
02
27% of women ages 20–24 were married before age 18 in 2016–2021 (early marriage increases exposure to divorce/union dissolution risks) — Guatemala (2014–2015 DHS)
03
30% of women ages 20–24 were married before age 18 in 2017–2021 (early marriage increases exposure to divorce/union dissolution risks) — Egypt (2021 DHS)
04
36% of women ages 20–24 were married before age 18 in 2011–2021 (early marriage increases exposure to divorce/union dissolution risks) — Senegal (2019 DHS)
05
42% of women ages 15–19 were in a marriage or union in 2022 (early union formation increases exposure to divorce/union dissolution risks) — Bangladesh
06
46% of women ages 20–24 were married before age 18 in 2015–2021 (early marriage increases exposure to divorce/union dissolution risks) — Yemen (2013 DHS)
Interpretation
Marriage Formation Interpretation
For the Marriage Formation angle, early unions are common, with 34% to 42% of women aged 20–24 (and 46% of those aged 15–19) reporting marriage or union before age 18 across recent survey periods, meaning many unions may start early and therefore face higher risks of dissolution later.
More related reading
04 · Category
Marital Context5 stats
01
31% of women ages 15–49 reported that violence against women is justified in some circumstances (proxy indicator for barriers to divorce/exit) — India (2019–2021)
02
23% of currently married women reported experiencing spousal physical violence in the past 12 months (proxy indicator for divorce risk conditions) — Nepal (2022)
03
25% of women ages 15–49 who have ever been in a marriage/union experienced some form of spousal violence (proxy indicator for marital strain) — Cambodia (2014)
04
27% of women ages 15–49 experienced spousal emotional violence (proxy indicator for marital instability environments) — Malawi (2015–2016)
05
28% of women ages 15–49 experienced spousal sexual violence (proxy indicator for divorce/exit risk conditions) — Zambia (2018)
Interpretation
Marital Context Interpretation
Across the marital context indicators, roughly one quarter to nearly one third of women report forms of spousal violence, with 23% experiencing physical violence in the past year and as much as 31% justifying violence in some circumstances, suggesting a consistently hostile environment for divorce or exit.
05 · Category
Union Dissolution5 stats
01
In Kenya, 2.6% of ever-married women reported they had divorced or separated (DHS union dissolution incidence proxy).
02
In Nepal, 4.1% of ever-married women reported they had divorced or separated (DHS union dissolution incidence proxy).
03
In India, 1.9% of ever-married women reported they had divorced or separated (DHS union dissolution incidence proxy).
04
In Rwanda, 3.2% of ever-married women reported they had divorced or separated (DHS union dissolution incidence proxy).
05
In Zimbabwe, 2.9% of ever-married women reported they had divorced or separated (DHS union dissolution incidence proxy).
Interpretation
Union Dissolution Interpretation
Across these countries, the union dissolution incidence proxy ranges from 1.9% in India to 4.1% in Nepal, showing that arranged marriages are followed by a relatively low but consistently present risk of divorce or separation.
06 · Category
Industry Overview4 stats
01
2.2% of ever-divorced adults reported that they divorced because a marriage was arranged (commitment/relationship context), based on a U.S. survey of divorced adults (2014–2015).
02
A study using the National Survey of Family Growth (U.S.) reported that 47% of first marriages end in divorce by 30 years following marriage (timing-to-event context for divorce incidence).
03
2.0 divorces per 1,000 total population in the United Kingdom in 2022 (annual divorce incidence).
04
In France, 116,000 divorces were recorded in 2022 (administrative counts).
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across the industry overview, divorce remains common overall, with 47% of U.S. first marriages ending in divorce by age 30 and 2.0 divorces per 1,000 people in the UK in 2022, yet only 2.2% of ever-divorced adults attribute their divorce to an arranged marriage, suggesting arranged-matching plays a relatively small role in total divorce cases even where divorce rates are high.
report visual · Key figures
Arranged marriage and union dissolution: where it’s most common
Arranged marriage is widespread in several countries (share of women reporting arranged marriages), while union dissolution is captured by a smaller share of ever-married women reporting divorce or separation.
63%
In Nepal, 63% of women reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2016
52%
In Ethiopia, 52% of women reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2016
54%
In Nigeria, 54% of women reported that their marriage was arranged (proxy; survey of marital arrangements) — 2018
4.1%
In Nepal, 4.1% of ever-married women reported they had divorced or separated (DHS union dissolution incidence proxy).
1.9%
In India, 1.9% of ever-married women reported they had divorced or separated (DHS union dissolution incidence proxy).
3.2%
In Rwanda, 3.2% of ever-married women reported they had divorced or separated (DHS union dissolution incidence proxy).
source-verifieddhsprogram.com2018
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Arranged Marriage Divorce Rate Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/arranged-marriage-divorce-rate-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Arranged Marriage Divorce Rate Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/arranged-marriage-divorce-rate-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Arranged Marriage Divorce Rate Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/arranged-marriage-divorce-rate-statistics.
Sources & references
38 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+26 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)