Divorce statistics
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NUMBER DIVORCES
2021
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nUMBER OF MARRIAGES
2021
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South African Divorce Statistics
Divorce and Marriage Statistics 2021 - published on 27 February 2023
The 2021 statistical release on divorces in SA is based on 18,208 completed divorce forms received and processed by Stats SA, reporting divorce data for the year 2021. This number reflects an increase of 2,111 (13.1%) divorces compared to the 16,097 cases processed in 2020. The total number of divorces has shown an increasing trend from 2012 to 2017, followed by a decreasing trend from 2018 to 2020. Notably, 143 divorces were granted for same-sex couples in 2021. The crude divorce rate in 2021 was observed to be 30 divorces per 100,000 estimated resident population.
The South African divorce data is categorized by both population group and the year of divorce. Black African couples had the highest number of divorces in 2021, and this trend has remained consistent for the past decade (2012 to 2021). Out of the 18,208 divorces granted in 2021, 50.4% (9,175) were from the black African population group, followed by white with 20.1% (3,652), coloured with 17.6% (3,202), Indian/Asian with 4.8% (881), and mixed population groups with 2.7% (499). The population group for 799 couples was unspecified.
The data also shows crude divorce rates by population groups. The white population group had the highest rate at 78 divorces per 100,000 estimated resident population, followed by coloured and Indian/Asian population groups with 61 and 57 per 100,000, respectively. The black African population had a rate of 19 divorces per 100,000 estimated resident population.
Moreover, the data provides information on the occupation of husbands and wives at the time of divorce. It was observed that a substantial proportion of husbands (26.2%) and wives (27.8%) did not specify their occupation. In addition, 22.1% of husbands and 28.5% of wives were not economically active or unemployed at the time of divorce. The majority of both male and female divorcees were employed in professional, semi-professional, and technical occupations, with 14.9% (2,707) and 16.0% (2,906), respectively.
According to the 2021 data, more women than men initiated divorce proceedings. Specifically, 9,981 wives (54.8%) filed for divorce compared to 6,142 husbands (33.7%), and in 921 cases (5.1%), both parties initiated the divorce. The sex of the plaintiff was unspecified in 1,164 cases (6.4%). The proportion of women plaintiffs varied across different population groups, with 61.2% of plaintiffs being women for the coloured population group, 60.5% for the Indian/Asian population group, and 58.1% for the white population group. In interracial couples, 57.3% of divorces were filed by wives. Among black African divorcees, about 6.5% of divorces were initiated by both partners.
The data also provides information on the province and sex of the plaintiff. The provinces with the highest number of granted divorces were Gauteng (4,859), Western Cape (3,833), KwaZulu-Natal (2,851), and Eastern Cape (2,138), which together accounted for 75.1% of all divorces granted in 2021. It should be noted, however, that this may be due in part to these provinces having larger populations.
Finally, the data shows that 47.9% of divorces in 2021 were from marriages that were solemnized by civil rites, while 43.3% were from marriages that were solemnized by religious rites.
The data presented in 2021 indicates that most divorce cases from the white population group (67.1%) and coloured population group (65.5%) were from marriages solemnized by religious rites. On the other hand, the majority of divorces from the black African (67.2%) and Indian/Asian (47.2%) population groups were from marriages solemnized by civil rites.
In terms of number of times married, over 80% of divorce cases for both men and women were from first-time marriages, with only 10.5% of men and 8.3% of women getting divorced for the second time. Less than 2% of both men and women were getting divorced for at least the third time.
The median age at the time of divorce in 2021 was 45 years for males and 41 years for females, indicating that, on average, divorced males were four years older than divorced females. When analyzed by population group, black African males had the highest median age at divorce (46 years), followed by whites (45 years), coloureds (43 years), and Indian/Asians (42 years).
The difference in median ages at the time of divorce between males and females was the greatest in the black African population group, with a five-year difference. The white population group had a three-year difference, while the coloured and Indian/Asian population groups had a two-year difference. Despite variations in the ages at which most men and women from different population groups divorced, the age patterns were similar. Fewer divorces occurred among younger (under 25 years old) and older (65 years and above) divorcees. For males, the peak age group for black African was 45 to 49 years (1,888), followed by those aged 40 to 44 years (1,874). The peak age group for coloured, Indian/Asian, and white population groups was 35 to 39 years. For females, the peak age group at divorce was 35 to 39 years for all population groups.
The data presented in the annual divorce statistics does not give a complete picture of the number of marriages that end in divorce. However, there is information on the duration of marriages that ended in divorce in 2021. The largest number of divorces [4,836 (26.6%)] were for marriages that lasted between five and nine years, followed by marriages that lasted between 10 and 14 years [3,877 (21.3%)] and marriages that lasted less than five years [2,909 (16.0%)]. Four out of ten divorces (7,745 or 42.5%) in 2021 were for marriages that lasted less than ten years.
In terms of population groups, divorces lasting between five and nine years were most common among the black African population (28.1%), followed by the coloured population (26.1%), the white population (24.6%), and the Indian/Asian population (20.9%). The white population had the highest proportion (19.4%) of divorces occurring in the first four years of marriage. Across all population groups, the proportion of divorces declined as the duration of marriage increased, with a significant drop observed after fourteen years. For marriages that did not last for 15 years or more, the Indian/Asian population group had a higher proportion of divorces than the other population groups.
In 2021, more than half of all divorces (56.6%) involved couples with children under the age of 18, while 43.4% had no children. Among white divorcees, the majority (56.2%) had no children. In comparison, divorces involving couples with children were more common among black African (62.0%) and coloured (60.9%) divorcees. The majority of children affected by divorce were from the black African population group (55.6%), followed by the white population group (19.4%), the Indian/Asian population group (14.9%), and the coloured population group (4.3%).
The 2021 statistical release on divorces in SA is based on 18,208 completed divorce forms received and processed by Stats SA, reporting divorce data for the year 2021. This number reflects an increase of 2,111 (13.1%) divorces compared to the 16,097 cases processed in 2020. The total number of divorces has shown an increasing trend from 2012 to 2017, followed by a decreasing trend from 2018 to 2020. Notably, 143 divorces were granted for same-sex couples in 2021. The crude divorce rate in 2021 was observed to be 30 divorces per 100,000 estimated resident population.
The South African divorce data is categorized by both population group and the year of divorce. Black African couples had the highest number of divorces in 2021, and this trend has remained consistent for the past decade (2012 to 2021). Out of the 18,208 divorces granted in 2021, 50.4% (9,175) were from the black African population group, followed by white with 20.1% (3,652), coloured with 17.6% (3,202), Indian/Asian with 4.8% (881), and mixed population groups with 2.7% (499). The population group for 799 couples was unspecified.
The data also shows crude divorce rates by population groups. The white population group had the highest rate at 78 divorces per 100,000 estimated resident population, followed by coloured and Indian/Asian population groups with 61 and 57 per 100,000, respectively. The black African population had a rate of 19 divorces per 100,000 estimated resident population.
Moreover, the data provides information on the occupation of husbands and wives at the time of divorce. It was observed that a substantial proportion of husbands (26.2%) and wives (27.8%) did not specify their occupation. In addition, 22.1% of husbands and 28.5% of wives were not economically active or unemployed at the time of divorce. The majority of both male and female divorcees were employed in professional, semi-professional, and technical occupations, with 14.9% (2,707) and 16.0% (2,906), respectively.
According to the 2021 data, more women than men initiated divorce proceedings. Specifically, 9,981 wives (54.8%) filed for divorce compared to 6,142 husbands (33.7%), and in 921 cases (5.1%), both parties initiated the divorce. The sex of the plaintiff was unspecified in 1,164 cases (6.4%). The proportion of women plaintiffs varied across different population groups, with 61.2% of plaintiffs being women for the coloured population group, 60.5% for the Indian/Asian population group, and 58.1% for the white population group. In interracial couples, 57.3% of divorces were filed by wives. Among black African divorcees, about 6.5% of divorces were initiated by both partners.
The data also provides information on the province and sex of the plaintiff. The provinces with the highest number of granted divorces were Gauteng (4,859), Western Cape (3,833), KwaZulu-Natal (2,851), and Eastern Cape (2,138), which together accounted for 75.1% of all divorces granted in 2021. It should be noted, however, that this may be due in part to these provinces having larger populations.
Finally, the data shows that 47.9% of divorces in 2021 were from marriages that were solemnized by civil rites, while 43.3% were from marriages that were solemnized by religious rites.
The data presented in 2021 indicates that most divorce cases from the white population group (67.1%) and coloured population group (65.5%) were from marriages solemnized by religious rites. On the other hand, the majority of divorces from the black African (67.2%) and Indian/Asian (47.2%) population groups were from marriages solemnized by civil rites.
In terms of number of times married, over 80% of divorce cases for both men and women were from first-time marriages, with only 10.5% of men and 8.3% of women getting divorced for the second time. Less than 2% of both men and women were getting divorced for at least the third time.
The median age at the time of divorce in 2021 was 45 years for males and 41 years for females, indicating that, on average, divorced males were four years older than divorced females. When analyzed by population group, black African males had the highest median age at divorce (46 years), followed by whites (45 years), coloureds (43 years), and Indian/Asians (42 years).
The difference in median ages at the time of divorce between males and females was the greatest in the black African population group, with a five-year difference. The white population group had a three-year difference, while the coloured and Indian/Asian population groups had a two-year difference. Despite variations in the ages at which most men and women from different population groups divorced, the age patterns were similar. Fewer divorces occurred among younger (under 25 years old) and older (65 years and above) divorcees. For males, the peak age group for black African was 45 to 49 years (1,888), followed by those aged 40 to 44 years (1,874). The peak age group for coloured, Indian/Asian, and white population groups was 35 to 39 years. For females, the peak age group at divorce was 35 to 39 years for all population groups.
The data presented in the annual divorce statistics does not give a complete picture of the number of marriages that end in divorce. However, there is information on the duration of marriages that ended in divorce in 2021. The largest number of divorces [4,836 (26.6%)] were for marriages that lasted between five and nine years, followed by marriages that lasted between 10 and 14 years [3,877 (21.3%)] and marriages that lasted less than five years [2,909 (16.0%)]. Four out of ten divorces (7,745 or 42.5%) in 2021 were for marriages that lasted less than ten years.
In terms of population groups, divorces lasting between five and nine years were most common among the black African population (28.1%), followed by the coloured population (26.1%), the white population (24.6%), and the Indian/Asian population (20.9%). The white population had the highest proportion (19.4%) of divorces occurring in the first four years of marriage. Across all population groups, the proportion of divorces declined as the duration of marriage increased, with a significant drop observed after fourteen years. For marriages that did not last for 15 years or more, the Indian/Asian population group had a higher proportion of divorces than the other population groups.
In 2021, more than half of all divorces (56.6%) involved couples with children under the age of 18, while 43.4% had no children. Among white divorcees, the majority (56.2%) had no children. In comparison, divorces involving couples with children were more common among black African (62.0%) and coloured (60.9%) divorcees. The majority of children affected by divorce were from the black African population group (55.6%), followed by the white population group (19.4%), the Indian/Asian population group (14.9%), and the coloured population group (4.3%).
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Below are the statistics since 2008:
| divorce_stats_2021.pdf |
| divorce_stats_2020.pdf |
| divorce_stats_2019.pdf |
| 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 |
