Highlights
Divorces in England and Wales: 2017
What's in the bulletin?
- There were 101,669 divorces of opposite-sex couples in England and Wales in 2017, a decrease of 4.9% compared with 2016, but similar to the number seen in 2015 (101,055).
- There were 338 divorces of same-sex couples in 2017, more than three times the number in 2016 (112 divorces); three-quarters (74%) of same-sex couples divorcing in 2017 were female.
- In 2017, there were 8.4 divorces of opposite-sex couples per 1,000 married men and women aged 16 years and over (divorce rates), representing the lowest divorce rates since 1973 and a 5.6% decrease from 2016.
Datasets related to Divorce
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Divorces in England and Wales
Annual divorce numbers and rates, by petitioner and decree granted, sex, age, previous marital status and percentage of marriages ending in divorce by year of marriage.
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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.
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Divorces in England and Wales, children of divorced couples: historical data
Number and age of children in families where the parents divorce.
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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.
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Number of marriages, marriage rates and period of occurrence
Annual statistics on the number of marriages and marriage rates. Statistics are also included on the day, month and quarter of occurrence. Some tables provide data back to 1837.
Publications related to Divorce
Statistical bulletins
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Divorces in England and Wales: 2017
Annual divorce numbers and rates, by duration of marriage, sex, age, previous marital status, and to whom granted and reason.
Methodology related to Divorce
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