Countries With the Highest Divorce Rates: Divorce rates keep increasing globally as social norms evolve and perspectives on marriage shift. Certain countries top the list with the highest divorce rates. India-historically recognised for its strong family values and low divorce rates has been experiencing a troubling rise in recent years. Let's explore the top 10 countries with the highest divorce rates in 2024 and also evaluate the scenario in India.
Maldives Is Highest Divorce Rate Country in the World
As per information from the World Population Review and additional sources, the nation with the highest divorce rate globally in 2020 was the Maldives, which recorded 2984 divorces in a population of 540,544, leading to a divorce rate of 5.52 per 1000 individuals. Well, In 2002 Maldives reported the highest rate of divorce 10.97, which got a Guinness World Record for the country.
Top 10 Countries with the Highest Divorce Rates in the World
Here is the list of the top 10 nations with the highest divorce rates as per the reports of 2022, calculated as the number of divorces per 1,000 people each year:
| Country | Divorce per 1000 people |
| 1.Maldives | 5.52 |
| 2. Kazakhstan | 4.6 |
| 3. Russia | 4.4 |
| 4. Georgia | 3.8 |
| 5. Moldova | 3.7 |
| 6. Belarus | 3.7 |
| 7. Belgium | 3.7 |
| 8. China | 3.2 |
| 9. Cuba | 2.9 |
| 10. Finland | 2.4 |
Factors Behind High Divorce Rates Around the Globe
Talking about the reasons for Divorce, there can be various causes, including ineffective communication, loss of trust, financial issues and feeling apart as time passes. Differences in values, cheating and emotional or physical mistreatment also play major a role. Some conflicts that remain unresolved, unmet expectations and incompatibility lead couples to part ways.
Reasons For India's Increasing Divorce Rate
As per the 2011 survey, the total number of divorced people in India is 14 lakh, amounting to 0.11 percent of the overall population. The count of divorced women is nearly twice that of men. By that time, the count of divorced men was 4.52 lakh, whereas the count of divorced women exceeded 9.09 lakh. In 2019-2020, the divorce rate among women was 0.4%, which rose to 0.5% in 2023-2024.
Historically, India has maintained one of the lowest divorce rates in the world, with estimates indicating that less than 1% of marriages result in divorce. Nonetheless, this is evolving swiftly because of:
1. Transforming Social Norms: Younger generations are increasingly willing to question the orthodox norms which is the biggest reason for divorce.
2. Urbanisation: With the expansion of cities and the modernisation of lifestyles, family configurations are transitioning from joint to nuclear, which is impacting marriages.
3. Women's Empowerment: As more women gain financial independence, they become less inclined to hold unhappy or abusive relationships.
4. Awareness of Mental Health: Partners are increasingly recognising the significance of emotional health, which results in elevated separation rates when disagreements occur.
Why India's Rising Divorce Rate Is Concerning
Although the growing divorce rate indicates evolving societal shifts, it also highlights fundamental issues like heightened stress, impractical expectations in relationships and inadequate communication. These problems are worsened by the lack of sufficient counseling and support systems for couples.
Comments