Sociology - Divorce Rates

Marital Breakdown;

• Divorce = The termination of a marriage due to 'irrtrievable breakdown'.
• Divorce rate = Number divorcing per 1,000 married population in a given year.
• Britain has one of the highest divorce rates in Europe.
• However, in 2008 the divorce rate fell to 11.2 from 11.8 in 2007. Which is a fall of 0.6%.

Marital Breakdown -  Historical Statistics;

• 1938 - 6,000
• 1950 - 31,000
• 1960 - 24,000
• 1970 - 58,000
• 1980 - 148,000
• 1990 - 153,000
• 2000 - 141,000
• 2008 - 122,000
• 2009 - 114,000

As you can see, in 1980 the divorce rates increased rapidly, then in 2000 divorce rates started to decrease.

Marital Breakdown - Historical Statistics Continued..

• Men and women in their late twenties had the highest divorce rate of all age groups.
• Since 1998 the average age at divorce in England and Wales has risen from 40.4 to 44 years for men and from 37.9 to 41.5 years for women.
• One in five (approx 20%) men and women were divorcing in 2008 had a previous marriage ending in divorce. This proportion had almost doubled since 1981.
• 69% of divorces in 2009 were to coupled where the marriage was the first for both parties.
• For 67% of divorces in 2008, the wife was granted the divorce.
• In 2008 the most common reason for divorce was behaviour.