Highest number of divorces since 1997
In
2002, the number of divorces granted in the UK increased
by 1.9 per cent, from 157,000 in 2001 to 160,000.
This is the highest number of divorces since 1997,
but still 11 per cent less than the peak of 180,000
in 1993.
In
1961 there were 27,000 divorces in Great Britain which
had doubled by 1969 to 56,000. It then doubled again
by 1972, to 125,000 in both Great Britain and the
United Kingdom. This latter increase was partly a
'one-off' effect of the Divorce Reform Act 1969 in
England and Wales, which came into effect in 1971.
In
England and Wales, 70 per cent of divorces in 2002
were to couples where both parties were in their first
marriage. The corresponding proportion was 80 per
cent in 1982. This downward trend largely reflects
the fall in the number of first marriages.
Over
the last 10 years the average age at divorce in England
and Wales has risen from 39 to 42 years for men and
from 36 to 39 years for women, partly reflecting the
rise in age at marriage.
In
2002 the most frequent fact on which divorce was granted
to a woman in England and Wales was the unreasonable
behaviour of her husband, while for a man, it was
separation for two years with consent.
Demographic
factors associated with an increased risk of subsequent
divorce include marrying at a younger than average
age, having a pre-marital birth, and having previously
been divorced.
