South Africa is seeing a sharp rise in divorces

South Africa is seeing a sharp rise in divorces, with total of 24, 202 divorces were granted.  

That is an 8.9% increase from the 22,230 recorded in 2023.

Statistics South Africa ‘s report has pointed to a continuous trend showing women are mostly the ones initiating divorces.

The latest data from Stats SA shows a parallel decline in the number of marriages being registered.

The statistics points to a consistent downward trend  in marriage registrations between 2015 and 2024, suggesting a structural shift in society as more South Africans delay, redefine or move away from traditional long-term unions.

In 2024, a total of 102,373 marriages and unions were registered, representing a 2.6% drop from the 105,123 recorded in 2023.

The long-term trend is even more striking. Compared to 2015, the number of marriages has fallen by 40 906, this is a 28.5% decline over the past decade.

Civil marriages, which make up the bulk of unions, also decreased to 97,510 in 2024, down 1.8% from 99 289 the year before.

This while the divorce rate keeps rising with women continuing to lead in initiating divorces.

Married women are said for about 57.2% of all divorces granted in 2024, a pattern that has remained consistent over the years.

Statistics South Africa said that the trend reflects growing female autonomy and greater access to legal protections, enabling more women to exit unhappy or unsafe marriages.’’