While rankings fluctuate, the Maldives often holds the record for the world's highest divorce rate (around 10.97 per 1,000 people, per Guinness World Records), due to easy processes and changing norms, with Russia, Belarus, and North Macedonia also frequently topping lists, alongside high figures in some European nations like Portugal, Spain, and Kazakhstan. Rates vary by year, but generally, post-Soviet states, some European countries, and nations with simpler divorce laws report higher rates.
In 2024, 47,216 divorces were granted in Australia, with a crude divorce rate of 2.1 per 1,000 people aged 16 and over. The median duration of marriage at divorce rose to 13.2 years, while the median age at divorce remained steady at 47.1 for men and 44.1 for women.
Women initiate the majority of divorces, with studies showing they file in around 70% of cases, a rate that increases to about 90% for college-educated women, according to research from the American Sociological Association (ASA). This trend highlights that women often bear the emotional burden, experience unmet needs, and have greater financial independence, making them more likely to seek divorce when dissatisfied with the relationship.
At nearly every age, divorce rates are higher for black than for white women, and they are generally lowest among Asian and foreign-born Hispanic women. Recent demographic projections suggest that these racial and ethnic gaps in marriage and marital dissolution will continue growing.
Among those who have ever married, Black Americans are the most likely to have gotten divorced (41%). Asian Americans are the least likely (16%). Americans who were born in the U.S. are more likely than those born outside the U.S. to have ever divorced (36% vs. 22%).
Lack of commitment is the most common reason given by divorcing couples according to a recent national survey. Here are the reasons given and their percentages: Lack of commitment 73% Argue too much 56%
The four behaviors that predict over 90% of divorces, known as Dr. John Gottman's "Four Horsemen," are Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling, which erode connection, respect, and safety, leading to relationship breakdown. These destructive communication patterns, if persistent, signal that a marriage is likely to end, with contempt being the most damaging.
Marital Duration by Race/Ethnicity
Sri Lanka: 0.15 Divorces per 1,000 People (Updated 2023)
According to Statista, Sri Lanka has the lowest divorce rate in the world at the moment and this is based on statistics from 2020 onwards.
As its introduction notes, “prior studies have shown that female and male couples have a higher divorce risk than different-sex couples, with the highest divorce risk among female couples across countries such as Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the United States, and Canada.”
While many factors contribute, many experts point to poor communication (especially criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling) and a breakdown in emotional connection/trust, often stemming from dishonesty or disrespect, as the #1 things that destroy marriages, eroding intimacy and making partners feel unheard and unloved over time. Infidelity, financial stress, and shifting priorities (like putting family/in-laws above spouse) are also major contributors that feed these core issues.
The 80/80 Marriage pushes couples beyond the limited idea of “fairness” toward a new model grounded on radical generosity and shared success, one that calls for each partner to contribute 80 percent to build the strongest possible relationship.
Contempt. Of all the predictive factors, contempt is the most prominent one. Based on extensive research, Dr Gottman names the 'Four Horsemen' or four communication habits that are the best predictors of divorce.
In Australia, the median length of a marriage ending in divorce is around 13.2 years, with couples separating after roughly 8 to 9 years before finalizing the divorce several years later, according to recent 2024 statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This duration has been slowly increasing, with divorces occurring at older ages, while the overall marriage rate has declined as more couples cohabitate first.
Divorce lawyers, psychologists, and researchers have slotted years of marriage into periods and have rated them based on their risk of divorce:
Divorce Capital of Australia. In recent years, Queensland has become the divorce capital of Australia. The state's crude divorce rate has been consistently higher than that of other states and territories.
It may sound improbable, but there is a country that bans divorce: the Philippines. To be exact, both Vatican City and the Philippines prohibit divorce. But considering Vatican City's peculiarity as a theocracy, the Philippines are often referred to as the only nation that forbids divorce.
Grey divorce or late-life divorce is the demographic trend of an increasing divorce rate for older ("grey-haired") couples in long-lasting marriages, a term typically used for people over 50. Those who divorce may be called silver splitters. Divorcing late in life can cause financial difficulties.
Asian women experienced the lowest first divorce rates across all racial and ethnic groups. Their highest first divorce rate was observed for 15–24-year-olds (12.0) and exhibited little age variation across the age groups that followed.
Blacks tend to have lower first marriage rates compared with Whites (Bloome & Ang, 2020; Ruggles, 2022). Ruggles (2022) found that as age increased, first marriage rates declined for both Black and White men suggesting delayed marriage may not be evenly distributed across racial groups.
The 7-7-7 rule for couples is a guideline for maintaining strong connection by scheduling dedicated time: a date night every 7 days, a weekend getaway (or night away) every 7 weeks, and a longer, kid-free vacation every 7 months, all designed to fight drift and routine by ensuring consistent, intentional quality time, though flexibility is key.
Once upon a time when divorce was rare, most people were driven to it by what I call The Three A's– affairs, addictions or abuse. Divorce meant that someone was chronically cheating, repeatedly intoxicated, or physically violent.
Gottman studied more than 2,000 married couples over two decades and found four attitudes that most predict the dissolution of a relationship, especially in combination. They are criticism, defensiveness, contempt and stonewalling — the four horsemen of the apocalypse.