Decline partly due to fewer marriages
Data published by the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday show that fewer people are getting divorced in England and Wales than at any other time since the law was liberalized in 1971.
According to the report, 2015 saw the dissolution of 101,055 marriages, a decrease of 9.1% compared with 2014 and a decline of 34% from a recent peak in 2003.
This is the lowest number of divorces since the number shot up from 74,437 in 1971 to 119,025 in 1972.
The decline is attributed partly due to fewer marriages. However, the rate of married couples getting divorced is also the lowest since the Divorce Reform Act came into force. There were 8.5 divorces per thousand married men and women in 2015, down from a peak of 14.3 in 1993.
Data also shows that the average length of marriage is the highest it has ever been since 1972. The median time a couple stays married is now 11.9 years, up from a low of 8.9 years in 1985.
Thailand is facing the opposite effect with divorce rates having risen 27 per cent over the past nine years. Divorce lawyers in Thailand have attributed this to gradual change in values with more people opting to preserve their independence.
According to Business Insider, Belgium has the highest rate of divorce in this data set at a staggering 70%. The lowest official rate is in Chile with 3%.
Read more here
Related articles:
{ 0 comments… add one now }