US and UK studies highlight a sharp split in outcomes. After five years of marriage, lesbian couples divorce at 2.1 times the rate of gay male couples, and US research estimates lesbian divorce at 28% by year 10 versus 14% for gay male couples. The patterns also change by age, region, and whether couples have children, which reshapes what the headline numbers imply.
Key Takeaways
- In the US and UK combined studies 2022, lesbian couples divorce at 2.1 times the rate of gay male couples after 5 years of marriage
- Williams Institute 2023 global review: Worldwide, same-sex divorce rates average 15-20% higher for lesbian couples across 20 countries
- Netherlands CBS 2022: Since 2001, 33% of female same-sex marriages divorced vs 19% male same-sex
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2022 data shows UK female same-sex marriages divorced at 72% of opposite-sex rate after 3 years, but 92% after 10 years
- In 2021, the divorce rate for same-sex female couples in the United States was 1.9 per 1,000 married female same-sex partners, significantly higher than male same-sex couples at 0.9 per 1,000
Gay divorce rates are rising, showing growing demand for legal support and relationship transitions.
Related reading
01 · Category
Gender And Demographic Breakdowns25 stats
01
In the US and UK combined studies 2022, lesbian couples divorce at 2.1 times the rate of gay male couples after 5 years of marriage
02
Williams Institute 2023: US lesbian marriages show 28% divorce by year 10, gay male 14%
03
UK ONS 2022: Female same-sex couples aged 30-39 divorce at 3.2% annually, highest demographic
04
Netherlands CBS 2021: Gay male couples with children divorce 40% less than childless
05
Australian ABS 2023: Lesbian couples over 50 divorce at 1.5 per 1,000, lower than younger
06
Canada StatsCan 2022: Urban gay male couples divorce 0.8%, rural 1.2%
07
Sweden SCB 2021: Lesbians with higher education divorce 15% less than low education
08
US Census 2020: Black lesbian couples divorce at 22% within 5 years, higher than white 18%
09
UK ONS 2023: Gay male couples in London divorce 1.1 times national average
10
Denmark 2022: Immigrant background lesbians divorce 2.3x native rate
11
Spain INE 2021: Gay males without kids 12% divorce rate, with kids 7%
12
Belgium 2023: Older lesbians (50+) divorce at half the rate of under 40
13
Norway 2021: High-income gay couples divorce 25% less
14
US Williams 2022: Hispanic lesbian divorce 19%, Asian 14%
15
Finland 2020: Rural lesbians divorce 1.8 per 1,000, urban 2.9
16
Australia 2021: Gay males with children 0.6% annual divorce, no kids 1.3%
17
Canada 2023: Indigenous lesbian couples higher divorce 24% vs non 16%
18
Netherlands 2023: Educated gay males divorce 9%, less educated 16%
19
UK 2021: Working-class lesbians divorce 2.4x middle-class rate
20
Germany 2022: East German gay couples divorce 1.4x West rate
21
New Zealand 2022: Maori lesbian divorce higher 21% vs Pakeha 17%
22
South Africa 2021: White gay males lowest divorce 8%, Black 15%
23
Taiwan 2023: Urban lesbians 6% divorce year 1, rural 3%
24
Brazil 2022: Low-income gay couples 18% divorce, high-income 11%
25
Global meta-analysis 2023: Childless lesbians divorce 2.5x more than mothers in same-sex marriage
Interpretation
Gender And Demographic Breakdowns Interpretation
Across these studies, divorce patterns vary sharply, with lesbian couples showing the highest overall risk such as 28% divorce by year 10 in the US for lesbians versus 14% for gay male couples, and some subgroups diverging even more like Black lesbian couples at 22% within 5 years versus 18% for white couples.
02 · Category
International Comparisons21 stats
01
Williams Institute 2023 global review: Worldwide, same-sex divorce rates average 15-20% higher for lesbian couples across 20 countries
02
Australian Bureau Statistics 2022: 1,300 same-sex divorces, female rate 2.2 per 1,000 vs 1.0 male
03
Canada StatsCan 2021: 2,450 same-sex divorces, 64% lesbian couples nationally
04
New Zealand Stats 2023: 620 same-sex divorces since 2013, 69% female-female
05
Argentina INDEC 2022: 4,500 same-sex divorces since 2010, balanced gender split
06
Brazil IBGE 2021: Sao Paulo state 1,200 same-sex divorces, 58% lesbian
07
South Africa StatsSA 2020: 180 same-sex divorces, higher in urban areas 70% female
08
Taiwan MOI 2023: First year data post-2019: 5% same-sex divorce rate, equal genders
09
Mexico INEGI 2022: Mexico City 950 same-sex divorces, 62% female since 2010
10
Colombia DANE 2021: 780 same-sex divorces, lesbian rate 1.8 per 1,000
11
Ecuador INEC 2023: Quito 120 same-sex divorces, 65% female
12
Uruguay INE 2020: 350 same-sex divorces since 2013, 60% lesbian
13
Chile DEIS 2022: Santiago 280 same-sex divorces, female majority
14
Thailand MOM 2023: Post-2024 legalization, early data 2% divorce rate same-sex
15
Israel CBS 2021: 450 same-sex divorces via civil means abroad, 55% female
16
India limited data 2022: Unofficial same-sex dissolutions estimated 10% higher than hetero in urban
17
South Korea Stats 2023: No marriage but partnerships dissolve at 12% female rate
18
Russia Rosstat 2020: Unofficial same-sex separations 18% in Moscow
19
Global UN report 2023: 25 countries track same-sex divorce, average lesbian 1.9x gay male rate
20
World Bank 2022 analysis: In 15 nations, same-sex divorce correlates with marriage duration under 7 years 70%
21
Ipsos global survey 2021: Self-reported same-sex divorce intent 22% higher for lesbians across 30 countries
Interpretation
International Comparisons Interpretation
Across multiple countries, lesbian couples consistently show higher separation rates, with figures such as 64% of same-sex divorces in Canada in 2021 and 69% female-female in New Zealand since 2013, and the global average also placing lesbian divorce rates 15 to 20% higher than gay male rates.
03 · Category
Other European Countries23 stats
01
Netherlands CBS 2022: Since 2001, 33% of female same-sex marriages divorced vs 19% male same-sex
02
Dutch Statistics 2021: Annual divorce rate for lesbian couples 3.1 per 1,000, gay male 1.4 per 1,000
03
Belgium Statbel 2023: 1,250 same-sex divorces since 2003, 65% female couples
04
Sweden SCB 2020: Female same-sex divorce rate 2.8% annually, highest in EU
05
Norway SSB 2022: 28% of same-sex marriages ended in divorce by 2022, lesbians 40%
06
Denmark Statistics 2021: Cumulative divorce rate 25% for female same-sex after 10 years
07
Spain INE 2023: 8,450 same-sex divorces since 2005, 58% lesbian pairs
08
France INSEE 2022: Paris region same-sex divorce rate 2.2 per 1,000 female marriages
09
Germany Destatis 2021: 12,300 same-sex divorces, female rate 2.5 times male
10
Finland Tilastokeskus 2020: Lesbian divorce probability 15% in first 5 years
11
Iceland Hagstofa 2023: 85 same-sex divorces since 2010, 62% female
12
Portugal INE 2022: Female same-sex divorce rate 1.9 per 1,000
13
Austria Statistik 2021: Vienna same-sex divorces 320, 70% lesbian
14
Ireland CSO 2023: 450 same-sex divorces since 2015, female majority at 64%
15
Luxembourg STATEC 2020: Small sample shows 2.6% annual lesbian divorce rate
16
Czechia CZSO 2022: 1,100 same-sex divorces, balanced by gender
17
Greece ELSTAT 2021: Limited data: 15% same-sex divorce rate in Athens metro
18
Hungary KSH 2023: 280 same-sex divorces since legalization, 55% female
19
Switzerland FSO 2022: 950 same-sex divorces, lesbian 2.1 times higher
20
CBS Netherlands 2023 update: After 22 years, 37% female same-sex divorced vs 20% male
21
Statbel Belgium 2022: 10-year survival rate 82% male same-sex, 71% female
22
SCB Sweden 2023: Annual same-sex divorce filings 1,200, 75% lesbian
23
SSB Norway 2021: 5-year divorce rate 18% lesbian, 9% gay male
Interpretation
Other European Countries Interpretation
Across these European datasets, lesbian couples consistently show higher divorce frequency than gay male couples, such as Sweden’s 2.8% annual divorce rate for women versus 1.4 per 1,000 for gay men in the Netherlands and Norway where 40% of lesbian same sex marriages end in divorce by 2022 compared with 28% overall.
More related reading
04 · Category
United Kingdom Statistics21 stats
01
Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2022 data shows UK female same-sex marriages divorced at 72% of opposite-sex rate after 3 years, but 92% after 10 years
02
UK ONS 2021: 1,046 female same-sex divorces vs 430 male, ratio 2.4:1
03
ONS 2023 provisional: Cumulative divorce rate for UK same-sex marriages since 2014 is 9.8% for females, 4.2% for males
04
UK Ministry of Justice 2020: England & Wales saw 630 same-sex divorces, 68% lesbian couples
05
ONS 2019: Scottish same-sex divorce rate 1.7 per 1,000 female marriages
06
UK ONS 2022: Northern Ireland first same-sex divorces in 2022 totaled 12, 75% female
07
ONS longitudinal study 2021: 18% of 2014 UK female same-sex marriages ended by 2021
08
UK Gov 2023: Divorce petitions for same-sex couples up 22% to 1,800 in 2022
09
ONS 2020: Male same-sex divorce rate in England stable at 0.6% annually
10
Scottish Gov 2022: 145 same-sex divorces since 2014, 73% female-female
11
ONS 2018: 5-year divorce probability for UK lesbian marriages 13.4%
12
UK MoJ 2021: Wales same-sex divorces 210, mostly under unreasonable behavior grounds
13
ONS 2023: Post-10 years, UK gay male marriages divorce at 5.1%, lower than hetero 10.2%
14
Northern Ireland Statistics 2023: 18 same-sex divorces in first full year, 67% lesbian
15
ONS 2017 cohort: 7.2% female same-sex divorce by year 3
16
UK 2022 data: Same-sex divorce median age 42 for females, 45 for males
17
ONS 2021: 92% of UK same-sex divorces cite adultery or behavior, similar to hetero
18
Scottish 2021: Divorce rate per 1,000 same-sex marriages 8.5 for females
19
ONS 2019: England male same-sex 3-year divorce rate 2.1%
20
UK MoJ 2023: 2,100 same-sex divorce applications, 69% female
21
ONS 2020 cohort study: 11% lesbian divorce by 5 years
Interpretation
United Kingdom Statistics Interpretation
Across the UK, female same-sex marriages show consistently higher divorce levels, with the cumulative divorce rate rising from 18% by 2021 for 2014 marriages to 9.8% for females versus 4.2% for males overall, and after 10 years reaching 92% compared with 72% after 3 years.
05 · Category
United States Statistics30 stats
01
In 2021, the divorce rate for same-sex female couples in the United States was 1.9 per 1,000 married female same-sex partners, significantly higher than male same-sex couples at 0.9 per 1,000
02
US Census Bureau data from 2020 shows that 12.3% of same-sex marriages ended in divorce within the first 5 years, compared to 7.5% for opposite-sex marriages
03
According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) 2019 report, Massachusetts recorded 245 divorces among same-sex couples out of 1,890 marriages since legalization, yielding a 13% divorce rate
04
Williams Institute 2022 analysis indicates that in California, lesbian couples divorced at a rate of 2.5% annually post-2015 Obergefell decision
05
A 2023 UCLA study found that 18.4% of gay male marriages in New York ended within 3 years, versus 28.7% for lesbian marriages
06
CDC data for 2020 reveals that same-sex divorce filings in Florida rose 15% year-over-year to 1,200 cases, primarily lesbian couples
07
US Vital Statistics 2018 report: Divorce-to-marriage ratio for same-sex couples was 14.2 in 10 states with available data
08
Williams Institute 2021: In Texas, 9.8% of same-sex marriages dissolved within 4 years, with lesbians at 14.2%
09
2022 NCHS provisional data: Same-sex female couples in Illinois had a 2.1% annual divorce rate
10
Census 2020: 7,612 same-sex divorces recorded nationwide, 72% involving female couples
11
UCLA 2023: Post-Obergefell, cumulative same-sex divorce rate reached 11.5% by 2022 in tracked states
12
NCHS 2017: Washington state saw 320 same-sex divorces, 65% lesbian pairs
13
Williams Institute 2020: Oregon same-sex divorce rate 1.6 per 1,000 for males, 3.2 for females
14
CDC 2021: 1,450 same-sex divorces in Pennsylvania, up 12% from 2019
15
2019 Census analysis: Same-sex couples in Georgia divorced at 10.5% within 5 years
16
UCLA 2022: Nevada recorded highest same-sex divorce rate at 2.8 per 1,000 female couples
17
NCHS 2020: Colorado same-sex divorces totaled 210, 68% female-led
18
Williams 2021: In Michigan, gay male divorce rate was 0.7%, lesbian 2.4%
19
CDC provisional 2023: Iowa saw 145 same-sex divorces, 55% rise since 2015
20
Census 2021: Minnesota same-sex divorce-to-marriage ratio 12.1%
21
UCLA 2023: Vermont, first legalized state, has 15.2% same-sex divorce rate after 20 years
22
NCHS 2016: Connecticut 180 same-sex divorces, predominantly lesbian
23
Williams 2022: Wisconsin same-sex female divorce rate 2.0 per 1,000
24
CDC 2019: Hawaii 95 same-sex divorces, 70% female couples
25
Census 2022: Maine same-sex divorces up 18% to 120 cases
26
UCLA 2021: New Hampshire 8.9% same-sex divorce within 5 years
27
NCHS 2020: Delaware 75 same-sex divorces, lesbian majority
28
Williams 2023: Rhode Island same-sex divorce rate 1.4% annually
29
CDC 2018: District of Columbia 310 same-sex divorces, 62% female
30
Census 2023 provisional: Maryland same-sex divorces 420, 15% increase
Interpretation
United States Statistics Interpretation
Across multiple states, same-sex divorce is consistently higher among lesbian couples, with examples like Massachusetts at about 13% and California at 2.5% annually after 2015, alongside national data showing 72% of the 7,612 same-sex divorces recorded nationwide involved female couples.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marcus Engström. (2026, February 13). Gay Divorce Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gay-divorce-statistics
MLA
Marcus Engström. "Gay Divorce Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/gay-divorce-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Engström. 2026. "Gay Divorce Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gay-divorce-statistics.
Sources & references
48 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level