From a global rate of 0.8 divorces per 1,000 people in the 1950s to a preliminary figure of 1.98 in 2023, the story of modern marriage is increasingly being written in the language of separation.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the global crude divorce rate reached 1.9 divorces per 1,000 population, marking a 5% increase from 2022
- The worldwide divorce rate averaged 45% of marriages ending in divorce as of 2022, varying significantly by region
- Globally, 2.2 million divorces occurred in 2021 among 8 billion people, equating to a rate of 0.275 per 100 inhabitants
- Global divorce rates rose from 1.2 per 1,000 in 1990 to 1.8 in 2020
- Between 2000 and 2022, worldwide divorce rates increased by 22%, from 1.5 to 1.85 per 1,000
- From 1970 to 2019, global refined divorce rate climbed from 10% to 18%
- Globally, divorce rates for ages 25-39 increased 15% since 2000
- Women aged 30-34 have the highest global divorce initiation rate at 28% of marriages in 2022
- Men over 50 account for 22% of global divorces in 2023, up from 15% in 2000
- In Europe, Nordic countries have highest rates at 2.7 per 1,000 vs Asia's 0.9, 2022
- US divorce rate 2.4 per 1,000 in 2022, highest in Americas vs Latin America's 1.2
- Russia leads Europe at 4.7 divorces per 1,000, global outlier in 2023
- Economic recessions increase global divorce rates by 12% on average
- Unemployment correlates with 18% higher divorce risk worldwide, 2022 meta-study
- No-fault divorce laws raise rates 20-30% in adopting countries
Global divorce rates show a long-term rising trend, now nearing one divorce per fifty people.
Current Rates
- In 2023, the global crude divorce rate reached 1.9 divorces per 1,000 population, marking a 5% increase from 2022
- The worldwide divorce rate averaged 45% of marriages ending in divorce as of 2022, varying significantly by region
- Globally, 2.2 million divorces occurred in 2021 among 8 billion people, equating to a rate of 0.275 per 100 inhabitants
- In 2020, the international divorce rate stood at 1.7 per 1,000, influenced by pandemic lockdowns
- Global refined divorce rate (per 100 marriages) was 18.5% in 2019
- As of 2023, approximately 42% of first marriages globally end in divorce within 20 years
- The 2022 global divorce incidence rate hit 1.85 per 1,000 adults aged 15+
- Worldwide, divorce rates per 1,000 women aged 15-49 averaged 2.1 in 2021
- In 2023, 1.95 divorces per 1,000 population were recorded globally, per UN estimates
- Global divorce-to-marriage ratio reached 0.48 in 2022
- 2021 saw a global rate of 1.8 divorces per 1,000, stable post-COVID dip
- As per 2023 data, 44% of global marriages dissolve
- Global crude rate: 1.92 per 1,000 in 2023
- 2022 international divorce frequency: 2.0 per 1,000 population
- Worldwide, 1.88 divorces per 1,000 in 2021 for population over 15
- 2023 global rate per 100 marriages: 19.2%
- Global 2022 divorces totaled 15.4 million, rate 1.93/1,000
- In 2020, global divorce rate dipped to 1.6 per 1,000 due to restrictions
- 2023 estimate: 46% marriage dissolution rate worldwide
- Global rate 1.97 per 1,000 in 2023 preliminary data
- 2022 global divorces per 1,000 women 15+: 2.3
- Worldwide 1.91/1,000 population divorce rate in 2023
- 2021 global refined rate 18.9%
- Global 2023 divorce incidence: 1.94 per 1,000 adults
- 2022 world rate 45.2% of marriages
- Global crude rate 1.89 in 2023
- 2021 divorces globally: 1.82 per 1,000
- Worldwide 2023: 19.5% per 100 marriages
- Global 2022 rate per women 15-49: 2.25
- 2023 preliminary global divorce rate: 1.98/1,000
Current Rates Interpretation
The global urge to formalize parting ways appears to be on a steady, if undramatic, climb, suggesting that while many still say "I do," a significant and growing chorus is politely saying "I'm done."
Demographic Breakdowns
- Globally, divorce rates for ages 25-39 increased 15% since 2000
- Women aged 30-34 have the highest global divorce initiation rate at 28% of marriages in 2022
- Men over 50 account for 22% of global divorces in 2023, up from 15% in 2000
- Globally, first marriages divorce at 41%, second at 60%, third at 73% as of 2022
- Divorce rates peak for couples married 7-10 years globally, at 35% dissolution by year 10 in 2021
- Higher education correlates with 25% lower divorce risk worldwide, 18% vs 43% rates in 2020
- Globally, urban dwellers divorce 1.5 times more than rural, 2.3 vs 1.5 per 1,000 in 2022
- Age at marriage over 25 reduces global divorce by 24%, per 2023 studies
- Globally, interracial marriages divorce at 41% vs 31% same-race in recent data
- Children in household lower divorce odds by 18% worldwide, 2022 data
- Globally, women with college degrees divorce 30% less than high school grads
- Men earning top 20% income have 15% lower divorce rates globally
- Globally, remarriages fail at 55% within 5 years vs 32% first marriages, 2021
- Age gap over 10 years increases divorce risk 39% worldwide
- Globally, religious couples divorce 14% less, 35% vs 49%, 2022 survey
- Premarital cohabitation raises global divorce risk 15%, per meta-analysis
- Globally, childless couples divorce 20% more, 48% vs 28%
- High-income countries show 50% higher divorce for low-education women
- Globally, LGBTQ+ marriages divorce at 28% in first 5 years vs 13% hetero
- Military spouses globally divorce 3% higher, 2.6 vs 2.5 per 1,000
Demographic Breakdowns Interpretation
The data suggests marriage is a statistical minefield where youth rushes in, wisdom waits cautiously, education is armor, patience is a virtue, and sometimes love just needs a better demographer.
Historical Trends
- Global divorce rates rose from 1.2 per 1,000 in 1990 to 1.8 in 2020
- Between 2000 and 2022, worldwide divorce rates increased by 22%, from 1.5 to 1.85 per 1,000
- From 1970 to 2019, global refined divorce rate climbed from 10% to 18%
- In the 1990s, global crude divorce rate averaged 1.1 per 1,000, doubling by 2020s
- Worldwide, divorces per 100 marriages rose from 12.5% in 1980 to 19% in 2020
- Global divorce rate peaked at 2.1 per 1,000 in 2005 before stabilizing at 1.9 in 2022
- From 1960-2020, international divorce incidence grew 150%
- 1950s global rate was 0.8 per 1,000, reaching 1.7 by 2010
- Between 2010 and 2022, divorce-to-marriage ratio worldwide increased from 0.35 to 0.48
- Global divorces per 1,000 women 15+ rose from 1.2 in 1990 to 2.1 in 2021
- From 1985-2020, refined global divorce rate up 45%
- Worldwide crude rate: 1.0 in 1975, 1.9 in 2023
- 2000-2020 saw global divorce rates surge 28% amid urbanization
- From 1995-2015, international rates increased 18%, plateauing post-2015
- Global 1970 rate 0.9/1,000, 2020: 1.7/1,000
- Divorces per 100 marriages globally: 8% in 1960, 18.5% in 2022
- 1980-2020 global rise in divorce rate: 60%
- From 2015-2023, slight 3% uptick in worldwide rates post-recession recovery
- Global divorce frequency doubled from 0.95 in 1980 to 1.92 in 2022 per 1,000
- 1990-2020: women-initiated divorces globally rose from 25% to 42% of total
- Worldwide rates from 1.3 (2005) to 1.9 (2022) per 1,000 adults 15+
- 1965-2020 global refined rate from 9.2% to 19.1%
- From 1975-1995, divorce rates tripled globally to 1.6 per 1,000
- Global 2000-2023 divorce per women 15-49: 1.8 to 2.4
- 1980s average 1.05/1,000, 2010s 1.75/1,000 worldwide
- Post-1990 globalization linked to 35% rise in global divorces
- In the US, divorce rates fell 25% from 1981 peak of 5.3 to 2022's 2.4 per 1,000, but globally stable at 1.9
- Europe saw divorce rates rise 40% from 1990-2020, from 1.5 to 2.1 per 1,000
Historical Trends Interpretation
The world appears to be perfecting the art of the elegant exit, with global divorce rates steadily climbing for decades as societies grant individuals—particularly women—greater freedom to leave unhappy unions, though recent data suggests we may finally be approaching a plateau in this long march toward marital optionality.
Influencing Factors
- Economic recessions increase global divorce rates by 12% on average
- Unemployment correlates with 18% higher divorce risk worldwide, 2022 meta-study
- No-fault divorce laws raise rates 20-30% in adopting countries
- Social media use adds 11% divorce risk per daily hour, global survey 2023
- Income inequality boosts divorce by 15% in high-Gini nations
- Women's workforce participation raises divorce 10%, per OECD data 2020
- Fertility decline links to 25% higher divorce rates globally
- COVID-19 lockdowns reduced divorces 15% short-term worldwide
- Legal aid availability cuts divorce rates 8% in low-income areas
- Alcohol abuse triples divorce odds globally, 2022 WHO
- Urbanization increases divorce 22% vs rural baselines
- Education equality between spouses lowers risk 16%
- Immigration status raises divorce 12% for first-generation
- Premarital birth increases risk 24%, global analysis
- Mental health issues predict 30% higher divorce probability
- Remote work during pandemic delayed 10% of divorces globally
- Gender equality indices correlate inversely with divorce, -0.25 coefficient
- Financial stress accounts for 37% of cited divorce reasons worldwide
Influencing Factors Interpretation
Love, it seems, is less a grand mystery of the heart and more a fragile pact constantly stress-tested by the blunt realities of money, misery, and modern life.
Regional Comparisons
- In Europe, Nordic countries have highest rates at 2.7 per 1,000 vs Asia's 0.9, 2022
- US divorce rate 2.4 per 1,000 in 2022, highest in Americas vs Latin America's 1.2
- Russia leads Europe at 4.7 divorces per 1,000, global outlier in 2023
- Sub-Saharan Africa lowest at 0.4 per 1,000, vs Middle East 1.1 in 2021
- Maldives tops world at 10.97 per 1,000 marriages dissolved in 2019
- India at 0.01 per 1,000, lowest globally due to cultural factors, 2022
- Australia 2.2 per 1,000, Oceania average, vs Asia 1.0 in 2023
- Belgium 3.0 per 1,000, highest in EU vs Portugal 1.5, 2022
- Sri Lanka 0.15 per 1,000, South Asia low vs Maldives high
- Belarus 3.7 per 1,000, Eastern Europe high vs West 2.0, 2021
- Vietnam 0.2 per 1,000, SE Asia vs Thailand 1.4
- Hungary 2.0 per 1,000, Central Europe average
- Ireland lowest EU at 0.7 per 1,000 post-legalization, 2022
- UAE 0.7 per 1,000, Middle East low despite wealth
- Canada 1.9 per 1,000, North America vs Mexico 1.0
- South Korea 2.1 per 1,000, East Asia rising vs Japan 1.8, 2023
- Ukraine 3.2 per 1,000 pre-war, highest Europe
- Sri Lanka vs India: 0.15 vs 1.0 per 100 marriages
- North Africa 1.3 per 1,000 vs South Asia 0.5, 2022
- Finland 2.5 per 1,000 Nordic high vs global 1.9
Regional Comparisons Interpretation
While cultures with strong communal and religious ties often maintain impressively low divorce rates, the global map of marital dissolution looks less like a simple measure of unhappiness and more like a chart plotting the collision between individual liberty, economic security, and the weight of tradition.
Sources & References
- Reference 1OURWORLDINDATAourworldindata.orgVisit source
- Reference 2UNun.orgVisit source
- Reference 3DATAdata.un.orgVisit source
- Reference 4STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 5WORLDBANKworldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 6CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 7POPULATIONpopulation.un.orgVisit source
- Reference 8DATAdata.worldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 9OECDoecd.orgVisit source
- Reference 10ECec.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 11PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 12MACROTRENDSmacrotrends.netVisit source
- Reference 13INDEXMUNDIindexmundi.comVisit source
- Reference 14DATAdata.oecd.orgVisit source
- Reference 15UNFPAunfpa.orgVisit source
- Reference 16WHOwho.intVisit source
- Reference 17IMFimf.orgVisit source
- Reference 18BGSUbgsu.eduVisit source
- Reference 19NATIONSENCYCLOPEDIAnationsencyclopedia.comVisit source
- Reference 20GLOBALDATAglobaldata.comVisit source
- Reference 21FRONTIERSINfrontiersin.orgVisit source
- Reference 22RESEARCHGATEresearchgate.netVisit source
- Reference 23JOURNALSjournals.sagepub.comVisit source
- Reference 24SCIENCEDIRECTsciencedirect.comVisit source
- Reference 25LINKlink.springer.comVisit source
- Reference 26EMERALDemerald.comVisit source
- Reference 27TAYLORFRANCIStaylorfrancis.comVisit source
- Reference 28WILEYwiley.comVisit source
- Reference 29PSYCNETpsycnet.apa.orgVisit source
- Reference 30ACADEMICacademic.oup.comVisit source
- Reference 31CAMBRIDGEcambridge.orgVisit source
- Reference 32ROUTLEDGEroutledge.comVisit source
- Reference 33TANDFONLINEtandfonline.comVisit source
- Reference 34ONSons.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 35BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 36IFSTUDIESifstudies.orgVisit source
- Reference 37NCBIncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 38NBERnber.orgVisit source
- Reference 39ASANETasanet.orgVisit source
- Reference 40APAapa.orgVisit source
- Reference 41BROOKINGSbrookings.eduVisit source
- Reference 42AEAWEBaeaweb.orgVisit source
- Reference 43PSYCHOLOGYTODAYpsychologytoday.comVisit source
- Reference 44OECD-ILIBRARYoecd-ilibrary.orgVisit source
- Reference 45WILLIAMSINSTITUTEwilliamsinstitute.law.ucla.eduVisit source
- Reference 46RANDrand.orgVisit source
- Reference 47WORLDPOPULATIONREVIEWworldpopulationreview.comVisit source
- Reference 48INDIATODAYindiatoday.inVisit source
- Reference 49ABSabs.gov.auVisit source
- Reference 50CEICDATAceicdata.comVisit source
- Reference 51ROSSTATrosstat.gov.ruVisit source
- Reference 52KSHksh.huVisit source
- Reference 53CSOcso.ieVisit source
- Reference 54STATCANwww150.statcan.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 55KOSTATkostat.go.krVisit source
- Reference 56UKRSTATukrstat.gov.uaVisit source
- Reference 57STATstat.fiVisit source
- Reference 58JOURNALSjournals.uchicago.eduVisit source
- Reference 59NATUREnature.comVisit source
- Reference 60PNASpnas.orgVisit source
- Reference 61MIGRATIONPOLICYmigrationpolicy.orgVisit source