Divorce Rate in South Africa

In 2021, StatsSA released the latest stats for the divorce rate in South Africa. These stats indicate that divorce in the country is trending downward. In 2019 there were 129,597 recorded marriages to 23,710 divorces. The divorce rate was 6.2% lower than in 2019, which continues the downward trend starting in 2010.

The Divorce Rate in South Africa IS Trending Downward

In 2019, the following partnerships were recorded:

0
Civil
Marriages
0
Customary
Marries
0
Civil
Unions

In 2019, there were 23,710 divorces. In 2018,
there were 25,284 recorded divorces.

The Difference in South African Divorce
Rate Between Racial Groups

45%
The Black population of South Africa had the highest proportion of divorces, with 45% of all registered divorces coming from Black couples.
19%
Coloured divorces accounted for 19.0% of all divorces
22%
White divorces accounted for 22% of all divorces
5.5%
The Indian/Asian population accounted for 5.5% of divorces
3.4%
Mixed couples accounted for 3.4% of divorces in South AfricaWhen normalised for the racial group population of South Africa, Whites had the highest
divorce rate in South Africa, accounting for 112 divorces per 100,000 white residents.

Divorces Are Mostly Triggered by Women

Women were much more likely to be the instigators of divorce
and the first to seek the help of a divorce law Attorney:

• Women started 53.2% of all divorces
• Men started 34.6% of the divorces
• No gender was specified for the rest of the divorces, suggesting that mutual consent may have started it.

Age At the Time of Divorce

As people in South Africa are getting married later than ever before, the age at the time of divorce has also started to rise:

0
years was the average divorce age for a male
0
years was the average divorce age for females
0
Those older than 65 and younger than 25 were less likely to get divorced than other groups.

Occupation At the Time of Divorce

It is rare that occupation was reported at the time of divorce. However, known stats do seem to indicate that divorces occur at a far greater rate among those who are suffering financially or those who are not economically active.

of men were out of employment when going
through divorce proceedings
17%
The men most likely to go through a divorce
were employed in the service industry
14%
of women were out of employment when
going through divorce proceedings
24%
Women going through a divorce were much more
likely to be working in a professional capacity
14%

40% Of Marriages End Within 10-Years
of Marriage

• StatsSA indicated that around 4/10 marriages would end in divorce before the marriage hit the 10-year mark.
• The most dangerous time for marriages seemed to be around the 5-9 year mark. If a marriage was able to make it past this point, then it was much more likely to be a long-term marriage.

The Divorce Rate Is Higher for Those Married for The First Time

The divorce rate in South Africa is higher among those that are getting married for the first time. Although, this can be explained by the fact that the bulk of marriages are first-time marriages

80%
of all divorces were for first-time marriages
11.1%
of all divorces were for men getting married for the second time
10.1%
of all divorces for women getting married for the second time
1.5%
The rest of the divorces (under 1.5%) were for people getting married for their third time or more.

The Divorce Rate in South Africa Is Higher
When a Couple Has Children

The divorce rate in South Africa is slightly higher among couples with children under the age of 18 years.

• All registered divorces were for families with either child over 18 years.

• All registered divorces were for families with children under the age of 18 years.

Conclusion

While the divorce rate in South Africa was seeing a decline, there are still certain groups at more risk than others. Those going through a divorce should ensure they retain the services of an experienced divorce lawyer to ensure that their needs are protected.