Divorce

Divorces including same- and opposite-sex marriages, sex and age of people divorcing, children of divorced couples and previous marital status.

Spotlight

There were 80,057 divorces granted in England and Wales in 2022; a 29.5% decrease compared with 2021 (113,505 divorces) and the lowest number of divorces since 1971.
In 2022, the median duration of marriages that ended in divorce (the mid-point of all durations) was 12.9 years for opposite-sex couples and 7.5 and 6.3 years for male and female same-sex couples, respectively; the longest seen in our timeseries.
Divorce rates in 2022 were 6.7 for men and 6.6 for women per 1,000 of the male or female married population (including both opposite-sex and same-sex couples); lower than rates in 2021, with 9.5 for men and 9.4 for women per 1,000 of the married population.

More publications

More publications

Divorces in England and Wales

Annual divorce numbers and rates, by duration of marriage, sex, to whom granted, and reason.
Divorces in England and Wales, children of divorced couples: historical data

Number and age of children in families where the parents divorce.
Divorces in England and Wales by age, marital status before marriage and reason: historical data

Number of couples divorcing, divorce numbers and rates by age of husband and wife, and marital status before marriage.
Divorces in England and Wales by age at and duration of marriage and cohort analyses: historical data

Ages of husband and wife at marriage, and analyses of the percentage of marriages ending in divorce by year of marriage and anniversary, and proportions of men and women who had ever divorced by year of birth and age.

Divorces in England and Wales: 2022

Annual divorce and civil partnership dissolution numbers and rates, partnership type, to whom granted and duration of marriage.

View all related statistical bulletins

Marriage and divorce on the rise at 65 and over
How Have Living Arrangements and Marital Status in England and Wales Changed Since 2001?

Using 2011 Census data, we look at the population’s marital status (including both marriage and civil partnerships), and how these have changed since 2001. Living arrangements are also analysed as an alternative to legal partnership status, for example, cohabiting couples who are not in a legal partnership. Comparisons are made with Scotland, Northern Ireland and other developed countries.