Divorce demography

Divorce demography is the study of divorce statistics in a population. 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].

The following are the countries with the most annual divorces according to the United Nations in 2009.^[2][3]

Country	Divorces
China	1,893,000
United States	1,106,670
Russia	685,910
Japan	257,475
Germany	190,928

Country/region	Continent	Divorce rate			Ratio	Data Source Year
		Marriage	Divorce	Refined	Percent
Albania	Europe	8.1	1.7	4.76	20.99	(2018)[4]
Algeria	Africa	10.1	1.6	6.31	15.84	(2013)[5]
Australia (more info)	Oceania	4.6	2.0	2.3	43.48	(2017)[6]
Austria	Europe	5.3	1.8	2.94	33.96	(2018)[4]
Azerbaijan	Asia	9.7	1.5	6.47	15.46	(2011)[7][8]
Bahamas	North America	6.1	1.0	6.1	16.39	(2007)[7][8]
Belarus	Europe	6.1	3.7	1.65	60.66	(2023)[9]
Belgium (more info)	Europe	3.9	2.1	1.86	53.85	(2016)[4]
Bermuda		10.6	2.7	3.93	25.47	(2009)[7][8]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Europe	4.8	0.6	8	12.5	(2012)[4]
Brazil	South America	6.6	1.4	4.71	21.21	(2009)[10]
Bulgaria	Europe	4.1	1.5	2.73	36.59	(2018)[4]
Canada (more info)	North America	4.4	2.1	2.1	47.73	(2008)[7][8]
Chile (more info)	South America	3.3	0.7	4.71	21.21	(2009)[7][8]
China (more info)	Asia	7.2	3.2	2.25	44.44	(2018)[citation needed]
Colombia	South America	2.3	0.7	3.29	30.43	(2007)[11]
Costa Rica	North America	5.3	2.5	2.12	47.17	(2010)[7][8]
Croatia	Europe	4.9	1.5	3.27	30.61	(2018)[4]
Cuba (more info)	North America	5.2	2.9	1.79	55.77	(2010)[7][8]
Cyprus	Asia	6.8	2.2	3.09	32.35	(2017)[4]
Czech Republic	Europe	5.1	2.3	2.22	45.1	(2018)[4]
Denmark	Europe	5.6	2.6	2.15	46.43	(2018)[4]
Dominican Republic	North America	4.4	1.8	2.44	40.91	(2010)[7][8]
Ecuador	South America	5.6	1.1	5.09	19.64	(2006)[11]
Egypt (more info)	Africa	11.0	1.9	5.79	17.27	(2010)[7][8]
El Salvador	North America	3.5	0.8	4.38	22.86	(2006)[11]
Estonia	Europe	5.0	2.4	2.08	48	(2018)[4]
European Union		4.4	2	2.2	45.45	(2017)[4]
Finland	Europe	4.3	2.4	1.79	55.81	(2018)[4]
France	Europe	3.7	1.9	1.95	51.35	(2016)[4]
Georgia	Asia	6.9	1.3	5.31	18.84	(2011)[7][8]
Germany (more info)	Europe	4.9	1.9	2.58	38.78	(2017)[4]
Gibraltar		6.7	3.2	2.09	47.76	(2010)[7][8]
Grenada	North America	5.0	1.1	4.55	22	(2001)[11]
Greece	Europe	4.7	1.8	2.61	38.3	(2017)[4]
Guatemala	North America	3.8	1.2	3.17	31.58	(2008)[7][8]
Hungary	Europe	5.2	1.7	3.06	32.69	(2018)[4]
Iceland	Europe	4.9	1.8	2.72	36.73	(2010)[4]
India (more info)	Asia	10	0.1	100	1	?[12]
Iran (more info)	Asia	11.2	1.6	7	14.29	(2017)[13]
Iraq	Asia	Un­known	2.24			(2024)[14]
Ireland	Europe	4.6	0.7	6.57	15.22	(2017)[4]
Israel (more info)	Asia	6.5	1.8	3.61	27.69	(2009)[citation needed]
Italy	Europe	3.2	1.5	2.13	46.88	(2018)[4]
Jamaica	North America	7.5	1.5	5	20	(2011)[7][8]
Japan (more info)	Asia	4.8	1.7	2.82	35.42	(2019)[15]
Jordan	Asia	6.7	1.8	3.72	26.87	(2019)[16][17][18]
Kazakhstan	Asia	7.3	2.5	2.92	34.25	(2021)[19][20]
Kuwait	Asia	5.2	2.2	2.36	42.31	(2010)[7][8]
Kyrgyzstan	Asia	9.7	1.6	6.06	16.49	(2010)[7][8]
Latvia	Europe	6.8	3.1	2.19	45.59	(2018)[4]
Lebanon	Asia	9.5	1.6	5.94	16.84	(2007)[7][8]
Libya	Africa	10.8	2.5	4.32	23.15	(2008)[21]
Liechtenstein	Europe	5.0	2.4	2.08	48	(2010)[4]
Lithuania	Europe	7.0	3.1	2.26	44.29	(2018)[4]
Luxembourg	Europe	2.9	2.3	1.26	79.31	(2020)[4]
Malaysia	Asia	6.4	1.6	4	25	(2019)[22]
Maldives	Asia	Un­known	5.52			(2024)[14]
Malta (more info)	Europe	5.8	0.7	8.29	12.07	(2018)[4]
Mauritius	Africa	8.2	1.4	5.86	17.07	(2010)[7][8]
Mexico	North America	5.2	0.9	5.78	17.31	(2009)[7][8]
Moldova	Europe	7.3	3.1	2.35	42.47	(2011)[7][8]
Mongolia	Asia	3.4	1.1	3.09	32.35	(2010)[7][8]
Montenegro	Europe	5.3	1.4	3.79	26.42	(2018)[4]
Netherlands	Europe	3.7	1.8	2.06	48.65	(2018)[4]
New Zealand (more info)	Oceania	4.8	2.0	2.4	41.67	(2008)[7][8]
Nicaragua	North America	4.5	0.8	5.63	17.78	(2005)[11]
North Macedonia	Europe	6.5	0.8	8.13	12.31	(2018)[4]
Norway (more info)	Europe	4.3	1.9	2.26	44.19	(2018)[4]
Panama	North America	3.7	1.0	3.7	27.03	(2010)[7][8]
Poland (more info)	Europe	5.1	1.7	3	33.33	(2018)[4]
Portugal	Europe	1.8	1.7	1.06	94.44	(2020)[4]
Qatar	Asia	3.3	1.1	3	33.33	(2011)[7][8]
Romania	Europe	7.4	1.6	4.63	21.62	(2018)[4]
Russia	Europe	5.3	3.9	1.36	73.58	(2020)[23][24]
Saint Lucia	North America	2.8	0.7	4	25	(2004)[11]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	North America	5.8	0.8	7.25	13.79	(2007)[7][8]
San Marino	Europe	6.1	2.5	2.44	40.98	(2011)[7][8]
Saudi Arabia	Asia	5.6	2.1	2.67	37.5	(2020)[25]
Serbia	Europe	5.2	1.4	3.71	26.92	(2018)[4]
Seychelles	Africa	17.4	1.9	9.16	10.92	(2011)[7][8]
Singapore (more info)	Asia	6.8	1.9	3.58	27.94	(2015)[26]
Slovakia	Europe	5.7	1.8	3.17	31.58	(2018)[4]
Slovenia	Europe	3.5	1.1	3.18	31.43	(2018)[4]
South Africa (more info)	Africa	3.5	0.6	5.83	17.14	(2009)[10]
South Korea (more info)	Asia	4.7	2.2	2.14	46.81	(2019)[27]
Spain	Europe	1.9	1.6	1.19	84.21	(2020)[4]
Sri Lanka	Asia	?	0.15			?[28]
Suriname	South America	4.2	1.3	3.23	30.95	(2007)[7][8]
Sweden	Europe	5.0	2.5	2	50	(2018)[4]
Switzerland	Europe	4.8	2.0	2.4	41.67	(2016)[4]
Syria	Asia	10.6	1.3	8.15	12.26	(2006)[11]
Taiwan	Asia	5.7	2.3	2.48	40.35	(2018)[29]
Tajikistan	Asia	13.5	1.4	9.64	10.37	(2009)[7][8]
Thailand	Asia	5.5	1.4	3.93	25.45	(2005)[11]
Tonga	Oceania	7.1	1.2	5.92	16.9	(2003)[11]
Trinidad and Tobago	North America	6.3	2.2	2.86	34.92	(2005)[11][30]
Tunisia	Africa					(2016)[31]
Turkey	Europe	6.8	1.7	4	25	(2018)[4]
Ukraine	Europe	4.06	2.88	1.41	70.94	(2020)
United Arab Emirates	Asia	2.8	0.7	4	25	(2005)[32]
United Kingdom (more info)	Europe	4.4	1.8	2.44	40.91	(2015)[4]
United States (more info)	North America	5.1	2.3	2.22	45.1	(2020)[33]
Uruguay	South America	3.2	?			(2010)[7]
Uzbekistan	Asia	7.8	1.1	7.09	14.1	(2006)[34][35]
Venezuela	South America	3.3	1.2	2.75	36.36	(2006)[7]
Vietnam	Asia	5.7	0.4	14.25	7.02	(2015)[7][8]

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.

$${\displaystyle {\text{Crude Divorce Rate}}={\frac {\text{Number of divorces}}{\text{Population}}}\times 1000}$$

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.

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.

$${\displaystyle {\text{Refined Divorce Rate}}={\frac {\text{Number of divorces}}{\text{Number of married women}}}\times 1000}$$

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%).

$${\displaystyle {\text{Divorce-to-Marriage Ratio}}={\frac {\text{Number of divorces}}{\text{Number of marriages}}}}$$

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.

• Authorship: United States CDC National Center for Health Statistics; Contents: Longitudinal study of first-marriage outcomes in the United States, 2012