On the whole, marriage has been on a decline in Europe and divorce rates have doubled. But how evenly are these rates spread across the continent? We look at who and why the divorce rates are high in some countries and lower in others across Europe.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg is by far and away the country with the highest divorce rates, according to Statista. The figures in 2020 show 1447 divorces compared to 217 divorces in 1970. One of the key reasons has been identified as the country’s accessibility to and affordability of divorce, plus lower marriage rates in recent years overall. Also, it is possible to get a divorce in Luxembourg without the need for the other spouse’s signature on the documentation.
Portugal
With 58.7 divorces for every 100 marriages, Portugal also has a high rate. However, despite the black and white statistics, it should be considered that the frequency of divorce has actually decreased recently in Portugal. Some of the reasons for the overall rates have been attributed to the social and economic position of the country and possible lack of availability of funds needed to divorce, and on other side, the inability to finance a wedding.
Finland
The Northern European country of Finland has a divorce rate of 59.9%. Research into marriage statistics in the country have revealed that the popularity of walking down the aisle has declined significantly. Interestingly, the research also suggests that the Marriage Act in 1988 made divorcing easier, plus people getting married are getting older and older as the years go by, also having an impact.
Spain
In 2019, for every 100 marriages, there were 55.5 divorces, making Spain the fourth on the list for high divorce rates. Changing social constructs have been cited as one of the possible reasons for the high rates. The role of breadwinning men has moved with more women becoming financially independent over recent times.
France
Falling just underneath Spain is France with 55 divorces out of every 100 marriages in 2019. The total number of divorces in the country was 62,321 in 2018. The number of marriages has been decreasing in the country too. In 2018, there were 235,000 marriages but 10 years previously the figure was 265,404. The most popular reason for divorce in France is mutual consent, and is the process for this is usually faster, this could help explain the higher divorce rates.
Sweden
Sweden’s divorce rate has decreased from the year 2000, reaching a high in 2013 with 27,000 couples choosing to separate and generally decreasing from there. As well as more and more women going to work in the country, getting a divorce is considered to be socially acceptable compared to other countries. In addition, you do not need to show fault to get a divorce in Sweden which arguably makes it easier.
Belgium
Belgium divorce rates are considered to be above average in Europe too with 1.8 divorces per 1000 every year. The process of obtaining a divorce is relatively easy, particularly in cases where both parties are in agreement on the separation. In addition, same-sex marriages have become more popular in the country and the divorce process is for these couples is the same for heterosexual couples.
Conclusion
With so many different laws, customs and cultures in each of these countries, there is not one all-embracing reason why they have higher divorce rates. Each country’s statistics should be viewed on their own circumstances, with reasonable acknowledgement of other factors such as marriage rates, how easy the divorce process is and any recent societal changes.
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