South Africa - Divorce Statistics
Divorce Statistics 2018
Trends 2009 - 2018
The 2018 divorce data is based on 25 284 completed divorce forms that Stats SA obtained and processed by the end of December 2019. The number (25 284) suggests a decline of 106 (0,4%) divorces from the 25 390 cases processed in 2017. The total number of divorces decreased from 2009 to 2011 followed by a steady raise in the years 2012 to 2017 and a small decline of 0,4% between 2017 and 2018. In 2018, approximately 138 divorces were granted for same-sex couples. The observed crude divorce rate was 44 divorces per 100 000 estimated resident population in 2018.
In 2018, black African couples had the greatest number of divorces in comparison to other population groups throughout the ten-year period (2009 to 2018). In 2018, most divorces were filed by the black African population group 11 721 (46,4%) followed by the white population group 5 780 (22,9%), coloured population group 4 540 (18,0%) and then the Indian/Asian population group 1 214 (4,8%). The crude divorce rates by population groups reveal that the white population group had the highest rate of 124 per 100 000 estimated resident population followed by the coloured with 89 per 100 000, Indian/Asian population groups with 82 per 100 000 estimated resident population. The black African population had 25 per 100 000 estimated resident population.
It is noted that a high proportion of husbands (26,2%) and wives (29,7%) did not specify the type of occupation they were engaged in at the time of divorce. In addition, 18,7% and 24,9% of husbands and wives respectively were not economically active at the time of divorce. Most male divorcees were managers and administrators 3 435 (13,6%) and 3 113 (12,3%) were employed in professional, semi-professional and technical occupations while female divorcees were largely in professional, semi-professional and technical occupations 3 761 (14,9%) and clerical and sales occupations 2 986 (11,8%).
Characteristics of plaintiffs
The 2018 data reveal that more wives than husbands, 13 218 (52,3%) women in comparison to 8 791 (34,8%) men started divorce proceedings and 1 523 (6,0%) divorces were started by both husband and wife. The sex of the plaintiff was not specified in 1 752 (6,9%) cases. With the exclusion of women from the black African population group who had a lower proportion of plaintiffs (47,4%), the proportion of women plaintiffs from the other population groups was above 50,0%. The plaintiffs for the interracial couples reveal that 58,0% of the divorces were filed by wives. The percentage of women plaintiffs for the white population group, coloured population group and Indian/Asian population group were 57,7%, 57,4% and 54,4% respectively. Among the black African divorcees, divorce initiated by both partners constituted about 8,4%.
The provincial distribution suggests that Gauteng (6 623), Western Cape (6 274), KwaZulu-Natal (3 868) and Eastern Cape (3 325) were the provinces with the highest number of divorces granted. Together the four provinces contributed 79,5% of the divorces granted in 2018. Nevertheless, this could also be because of to the fact that these provinces have the largest populations. Eastern Cape had the highest proportion of both husband and wife as plaintiffs (14,0%).
Number of divorces by way of solemnisation of marriage
11 543 (45,7%) of the 2018 divorce cases were from marriages that were solemnised by civil rites and 11 535 (45,6%) by religious rites. About 69,3% of divorces from the white population group and two-thirds (67,0%) of divorces from the coloured population group were from marriages that were solemnised by religious rites. Most divorces from the black African and Indian/Asian population groups were from marriages that were solemnised by civil rites, 66,8% and 55,4% respectively.
Number of times married
Divorce cases for both men and women were primarily from individuals who had married once. More than 80,0% of divorces for men and women were from first-time marriages compared to 11,8% of men and 10,2% of women from second-time marriages respectively. Less than 2,0% of men and women were getting divorced for at least the third time.
Age at the time of divorce
The average ages at the time of divorce in 2018 were 45 years for males and 41 years for females, signifying that typically, divorcing males were older than divorcing females, with a difference of about four years. The pattern of average ages in 2018 by population group revealed that black African and white males had the highest average age of 45 years, while the Indian/Asian population group recorded the lowest median ages for both sexes. The difference in the median ages at the time of divorce between males and females was higher in the black African population group (four years) in comparison to the coloured, Indian/Asian and white population groups, with median age distinctions of two to three years between males and females.
Even though there were variations in the ages at which most men and women from the various population groups divorced, the age patterns were quite alike. There were less divorces among the younger (less than 25 years old) and the older (65 years and older) divorcees, however divorces start later, mostly at 35-39 years old for black African males than for other population groups where they start mainly from 30-34 years. For males, the peak age group for black African and Indian/Asian population groups was 40 to 44 years while that for coloured population group was 35 to 39 years and that of the white population group was 45 to 49 years. In the case of females, the peak age group at divorce was 35 to 39 years for all population groups.
Duration of marriage of divorcing couples and population group
Statistics from the annual divorce data do not give a detailed picture of the number of marriages ending in divorce. Nevertheless, there is data on the duration of marriages for divorces granted in 2018. The data show that the greatest number [6 908 (27,3%)] of divorces were for marriages that lasted between five and nine years. This group is followed by marriages that lasted between 10 and 14 years [5 259 (20,8%)] and marriages that lasted for less than five years [4 296 (17,0%)]. Results showed that four in ten divorces 11 204 (44,3%) of the 25 284 in 2018 were marriages that lasted for less than 10 years.
Irrespective of the population group, the greatest proportion of divorces happened to couples who had been married between five and nine years. Population group variations shows that 28,8% of divorces from the black African; 26,0% from white, 25,6% from coloured and 20,8% from Indian/Asian population groups were from marriages that lasted between five and nine years. The white population group had the greatest proportion (21,2%) of divorces that occurred in the first five years. The percentage of divorces in all population groups declined as the duration of marriage increased, with a significant decline being observed after fourteen years of marriage. The proportion of divorces from the Indian/Asian population group is higher than the other population groups between ages 15 and 34 years.
Divorces involving couples with children less than 18 years
In 2018, 14 302 (56,6%) of the 25 284 divorces had children younger than 18 years whereas 10 982 (43,4%) divorces had no children. The profile of white divorcees showed that more than half of the recorded divorces were without children (54,3%). Looking at the black African and coloured and divorcees, divorces involving couples with children constituted about 61,3% and 60,5% respectively. 50,6% of children affected by divorce were from the black African population group; 19,9% from the coloured population group; 17,8% from the white population group and 4,2% from the Indian/Asian population group.
Summary and concluding remarks
This statistical release gives information on data of divorces given by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. The data showed that 25 284 divorces were granted in 2018. Typically, there was an raise in the proportion of divorces for black Africans and a drop for the white population group. Divorces were primarily from people who had married for the first time. There were more wives than husbands who filed the divorce, with husbands generally getting divorced at a later age than wives. The provincial distribution shows that Gauteng (6 623), Western Cape (6 274), KwaZulu-Natal (3 868) and Eastern Cape (3 325) were the provinces with the greatest number of divorces granted. In 2018, about 23 727 children aged less than 18 years were affected by divorces that took place.
Trends 2009 - 2018
The 2018 divorce data is based on 25 284 completed divorce forms that Stats SA obtained and processed by the end of December 2019. The number (25 284) suggests a decline of 106 (0,4%) divorces from the 25 390 cases processed in 2017. The total number of divorces decreased from 2009 to 2011 followed by a steady raise in the years 2012 to 2017 and a small decline of 0,4% between 2017 and 2018. In 2018, approximately 138 divorces were granted for same-sex couples. The observed crude divorce rate was 44 divorces per 100 000 estimated resident population in 2018.
In 2018, black African couples had the greatest number of divorces in comparison to other population groups throughout the ten-year period (2009 to 2018). In 2018, most divorces were filed by the black African population group 11 721 (46,4%) followed by the white population group 5 780 (22,9%), coloured population group 4 540 (18,0%) and then the Indian/Asian population group 1 214 (4,8%). The crude divorce rates by population groups reveal that the white population group had the highest rate of 124 per 100 000 estimated resident population followed by the coloured with 89 per 100 000, Indian/Asian population groups with 82 per 100 000 estimated resident population. The black African population had 25 per 100 000 estimated resident population.
It is noted that a high proportion of husbands (26,2%) and wives (29,7%) did not specify the type of occupation they were engaged in at the time of divorce. In addition, 18,7% and 24,9% of husbands and wives respectively were not economically active at the time of divorce. Most male divorcees were managers and administrators 3 435 (13,6%) and 3 113 (12,3%) were employed in professional, semi-professional and technical occupations while female divorcees were largely in professional, semi-professional and technical occupations 3 761 (14,9%) and clerical and sales occupations 2 986 (11,8%).
Characteristics of plaintiffs
The 2018 data reveal that more wives than husbands, 13 218 (52,3%) women in comparison to 8 791 (34,8%) men started divorce proceedings and 1 523 (6,0%) divorces were started by both husband and wife. The sex of the plaintiff was not specified in 1 752 (6,9%) cases. With the exclusion of women from the black African population group who had a lower proportion of plaintiffs (47,4%), the proportion of women plaintiffs from the other population groups was above 50,0%. The plaintiffs for the interracial couples reveal that 58,0% of the divorces were filed by wives. The percentage of women plaintiffs for the white population group, coloured population group and Indian/Asian population group were 57,7%, 57,4% and 54,4% respectively. Among the black African divorcees, divorce initiated by both partners constituted about 8,4%.
The provincial distribution suggests that Gauteng (6 623), Western Cape (6 274), KwaZulu-Natal (3 868) and Eastern Cape (3 325) were the provinces with the highest number of divorces granted. Together the four provinces contributed 79,5% of the divorces granted in 2018. Nevertheless, this could also be because of to the fact that these provinces have the largest populations. Eastern Cape had the highest proportion of both husband and wife as plaintiffs (14,0%).
Number of divorces by way of solemnisation of marriage
11 543 (45,7%) of the 2018 divorce cases were from marriages that were solemnised by civil rites and 11 535 (45,6%) by religious rites. About 69,3% of divorces from the white population group and two-thirds (67,0%) of divorces from the coloured population group were from marriages that were solemnised by religious rites. Most divorces from the black African and Indian/Asian population groups were from marriages that were solemnised by civil rites, 66,8% and 55,4% respectively.
Number of times married
Divorce cases for both men and women were primarily from individuals who had married once. More than 80,0% of divorces for men and women were from first-time marriages compared to 11,8% of men and 10,2% of women from second-time marriages respectively. Less than 2,0% of men and women were getting divorced for at least the third time.
Age at the time of divorce
The average ages at the time of divorce in 2018 were 45 years for males and 41 years for females, signifying that typically, divorcing males were older than divorcing females, with a difference of about four years. The pattern of average ages in 2018 by population group revealed that black African and white males had the highest average age of 45 years, while the Indian/Asian population group recorded the lowest median ages for both sexes. The difference in the median ages at the time of divorce between males and females was higher in the black African population group (four years) in comparison to the coloured, Indian/Asian and white population groups, with median age distinctions of two to three years between males and females.
Even though there were variations in the ages at which most men and women from the various population groups divorced, the age patterns were quite alike. There were less divorces among the younger (less than 25 years old) and the older (65 years and older) divorcees, however divorces start later, mostly at 35-39 years old for black African males than for other population groups where they start mainly from 30-34 years. For males, the peak age group for black African and Indian/Asian population groups was 40 to 44 years while that for coloured population group was 35 to 39 years and that of the white population group was 45 to 49 years. In the case of females, the peak age group at divorce was 35 to 39 years for all population groups.
Duration of marriage of divorcing couples and population group
Statistics from the annual divorce data do not give a detailed picture of the number of marriages ending in divorce. Nevertheless, there is data on the duration of marriages for divorces granted in 2018. The data show that the greatest number [6 908 (27,3%)] of divorces were for marriages that lasted between five and nine years. This group is followed by marriages that lasted between 10 and 14 years [5 259 (20,8%)] and marriages that lasted for less than five years [4 296 (17,0%)]. Results showed that four in ten divorces 11 204 (44,3%) of the 25 284 in 2018 were marriages that lasted for less than 10 years.
Irrespective of the population group, the greatest proportion of divorces happened to couples who had been married between five and nine years. Population group variations shows that 28,8% of divorces from the black African; 26,0% from white, 25,6% from coloured and 20,8% from Indian/Asian population groups were from marriages that lasted between five and nine years. The white population group had the greatest proportion (21,2%) of divorces that occurred in the first five years. The percentage of divorces in all population groups declined as the duration of marriage increased, with a significant decline being observed after fourteen years of marriage. The proportion of divorces from the Indian/Asian population group is higher than the other population groups between ages 15 and 34 years.
Divorces involving couples with children less than 18 years
In 2018, 14 302 (56,6%) of the 25 284 divorces had children younger than 18 years whereas 10 982 (43,4%) divorces had no children. The profile of white divorcees showed that more than half of the recorded divorces were without children (54,3%). Looking at the black African and coloured and divorcees, divorces involving couples with children constituted about 61,3% and 60,5% respectively. 50,6% of children affected by divorce were from the black African population group; 19,9% from the coloured population group; 17,8% from the white population group and 4,2% from the Indian/Asian population group.
Summary and concluding remarks
This statistical release gives information on data of divorces given by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. The data showed that 25 284 divorces were granted in 2018. Typically, there was an raise in the proportion of divorces for black Africans and a drop for the white population group. Divorces were primarily from people who had married for the first time. There were more wives than husbands who filed the divorce, with husbands generally getting divorced at a later age than wives. The provincial distribution shows that Gauteng (6 623), Western Cape (6 274), KwaZulu-Natal (3 868) and Eastern Cape (3 325) were the provinces with the greatest number of divorces granted. In 2018, about 23 727 children aged less than 18 years were affected by divorces that took place.
Below are the statistics since 2008:
| divorce_stats_2018.pdf |
| divorce_statistics_2017_release.pdf |
| divorce_statistics_2016_p03072016.pdf |
| divorce statistics 2015 p03072015.pdf |
| divorce_statistics__south_africa__-_2014.pdf |
| divorce_statistics__south_africa__-_2013.pdf |
| divorce_statistics_south_africa_2012.pdf |
| divorce_statistics_south_africa_-_2011.pdf |
| divorce_statistics_south_africa_-_2010.pdf |
| divorce_statistics_south_africa_-_2009.pdf |
| divorce_statistics_south_africa_-_2008.pdf |
