South Africa is seeing a sharp rise in divorces.
In 2023, 22 230 divorces were recorded. This has jumped to 24, 202 – a whopping 8.9% increase since. According to StatsSA, the latest data shows a parallel decline in the number of marriages being registered.
The data further revealed that more women are initiating divorces. The statistics points to a consistent downward trend in marriage registrations between 2015 and 2024, suggesting a structural shift in society as more South Africans delay, redefine or move away from traditional long-term unions.
Compared to 2015, the number of long-term marriages has fallen by 40 906 – this is a 28.5% decline over the past decade. StatsSA says the trend reflects growing female autonomy and greater access to legal protections, enabling more women to exit unhappy or unsafe marriages.
