Divorce

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

Spotlight

In 2020, there were 103,592 divorces granted in England and Wales, a decrease of 4.5% compared with 2019; of these, the majority were among opposite-sex couples (98.9%).
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has previously reported that family court activities were affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic during 2020, including the temporary suspension of operations by some courts for a period of time; this may have impacted the number and timeliness of completed divorces in 2020 but it is difficult to know the extent of the impact.
There were 102,438 opposite-sex divorces in 2020, decreasing by 4.8% from 107,599 in 2019.

Divorces in England and Wales

Annual divorce numbers and rates, by duration of marriage, sex and 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: 2020

Annual divorce numbers and rates, by duration of marriage, sex and to whom granted and reason.

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.