Divorce is one of the more controversial topics these days, as the evolving role of the family in society changes as more women enter the workforce. In the U.S., divorce falls under the laws of the state in which the couple is residing, and the states have a minimum time of residence before the proceedings can be filed. At the same time, every state allows individuals to seek the right to divorce based on basic marriage problems such as a loss of affection. Additionally, nine states also follow community property laws, through which they treat properties owned by spouses before marriage differently than property acquired after marriage.
Getting married is not a cheap process either. According to a research report from Allied Market Research, the wedding service industry was worth $160 billion in 2020 and will grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8% between 2021 and 2023 to sit at an estimated $414 billion by the end of the forecast period. The research firm believes that the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is a whopping $70,000, and within the market, the destination wedding sector is quite popular. This sector sees couples fly off to regions outside their hometown to get married, and according to the research report, this is growing in popularity, particularly among those who are entering their second marriage. Destination services make up the largest subsegment of the wedding services industry, with catering coming in at a close second place.
Since destination weddings are a popular choice for second marriages, it's also relevant to take a look at this particular market. Fortunately for us, The Business Research Company has a report that covers the global destination wedding market. According to the research firm, this segment was worth $21.3 billion last year and will grow to $28.3 billion by the end of 2023. It affirms the fact that the destination wedding segment is highly growing, and the segment's compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29.2% from 2023 until 2026 shows that it will outpace the broader wedding services market by almost six times in terms of growth. In terms of monetary value, the strong CAGR leads to a valuation estimate of $78.9 billion for this segment in 2027.
Divorces are also helpful to the wedding services market, as the more people split up, the higher chances are for them to marry again. And while the destination wedding segment is expected to grow to $28 billion this year, the divorce industry was already worth $28 billion a couple of years back according to data from Divorce Statistics. As is the influence of capitalism on all industries, the divorce segment is also quite specialized, with customers having the option to hire a full package of specialists for their separation, which ranges from a child specialist to help the children, a financial specialist to sort out the money matters, and collaborative coaches to ensure that the process is as smooth as possible.
At the same time, divorces are also getting messier, with the average separation now stretching to at least six sessions with a mediator as opposed to an earlier two according to a divorce attorney practicing in Los Angeles. At the same time, getting a divorce is quite costly too, with the Wall Street Journal estimating that on average, each spouse pays $11,300 to an attorney as of 2019. Additionally, according to data from Wilkinson and Finkbeiner, a divorce law firm, people that make more than $75,000 annually are less likely to get divorced, an annual income higher than $50,000 reduces the risk of divorce by 30%, the average total cost of a divorce is $15,000, and divorces cost America $30 billion in 2002.
As mentioned above, higher divorces also mean higher marriages, and at this front, several companies benefit from them. A bride's dress is often the most important part of her wedding day, and therefore, it isn't surprising that the bridal dress industry itself is worth billions for dollars. A research report from Industry Research suggests that this segment was worth a cool $3.8 billion last year and will have a 6.3% CAGR until 2028 for an estimated worth of $5.6 billion by the end forecast period. There are a variety of companies that benefit from both first time and second time marriages. These include Etsy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ETSY) which serves as a retailer for a wide variety of wedding products such as dresses, decoration pieces, gifts for bridesmaids and others, guestbooks, cakes, and cards. Similarly, when it comes to jewelry, one of the largest players in the diamond category is Signet Jewelers Limited (NYSE:SIG) which claims to be the world's largest retailer of such items. Signet sells wedding bands and rings under several brands such as Ernest Jones, Kay, Zales, and Jared. Finally, another retailer of wedding items and accessories is Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE:JWN) which sells bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, and wedding suits.
As to what the future holds for the wedding industry, Signet's chief executive officer Ms. Virginia Drosos shared her thoughts on the matter during an earnings call in March 2023, when she shared:
The jewelry industry’s bridal segment is composed of two distinct parts, weddings and engagements. After a decline during COVID fiscal ’23 was the year of the wedding, a 40-year high. Having anticipated this, Signet delivered strong growth in wedding bands and bridal jewelry. Meanwhile, engagements held flat during COVID at pre pandemic levels, but declined low double digits in fiscal ’23 and will again decline low double digits in fiscal ’24. We expect fiscal ’24 to be the trough of engagements, with fiscal ’25, seeing a return to growth and fiscal ’26 returning to normalized levels. Supply these shifts, it’s temporary and COVID driven. We have rich proprietary data on couple’s behavior engagements typically occur approximately three years after couples begin dating.
With these details in mind, let's take a look at the countries with the highest divorce rates.
20 Countries With the Highest Divorce Rates
Our Methodology
We have used data from the United Nations' Demographic Yearbook 2021 which was published in November 2022 to compile our list. The countries are ranked according to their divorce rate. For the U.S., data is used from the CDC.
20 Countries With the Highest Divorce Rates
20. Principality of Andorra
Divorce Rate in 2021: 1.9
The Principality of Andorra is one of the smallest countries in the world and is situated in Europe. There were a total of 149 divorces in the country in 2021.
19. Republic of Singapore
Divorce Rate in 2021: 1.9
The Republic of Singapore is an Asian island nation. It reported 7,674 divorces in 2021.
18. Hungary
Divorce Rate in 2021: 1.9
Hungary is a European landlocked nation with a $410 billion GDP. It had 18,092 divorces in 2021.
17. Czech Republic
Divorce Rate in 2021: 2
The Czech Republic is another landlocked European country. It reported 21,107 divorces in 2021, with the rate being higher in rural areas.
16. Republic of Korea
Divorce Rate in 2021: 2
The Republic of Korea, or South Korea, is a developed European country. It had 101,673 divorces in 2021.
15. Republic of Türkiye
Divorce Rate in 2021: 2.1
The Republic of Türkiye is a European and Asian country that reported 174,085 divorces in 2021.
14. Republic of Finland
Divorce Rate in 2021: 2.2
The Republic of Finland is a Nordic European country. It saw 12,166 divorces in 2021, a five year low.
13. Denmark
Divorce Rate in 2021: 2.2
Denmark is another Nordic European country. It reported 12,886 divorces in 2021.
12. Kingdom of Sweden
Divorce Rate in 2021: 2.3
The Kingdom of Sweden is one of the most prosperous countries in the world. Its total divorces were 23,647 in 2021, for a five year low.
11. Greenland
Divorce Rate in 2021: 2.3
Greenland is the largest island in the world and a sovereign nation part of the Danish kingdom. It had just 131 divorces in 2021.
10. United States of America
Divorce Rate in 2021: 2.5
The United States of America, or the U.S., is the world's only military superpower. There were 689,308 divorces in America in 2021.
9. Republic of Latvia
Divorce Rate in 2021: 2.5
The Republic of Latvia is a Baltic European country with 4,643 divorces in 2021.
8. Republic of Kazakhstan
Divorce Rate in 2021: 2.5
The Republic of Kazakhstan is an Asian and European landlocked country. It reported 48,239 divorces in 2021, with the rate higher in urban areas.
7. Dominican Republic
Divorce Rate in 2021: 2.7
The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean island nation. It had 28,694 divorces in 2021.
6. Republic of Lithuania
Divorce Rate in 2021: 2.8
The Republic of Lithuania is a Baltic European country with an estimated 2.8 million population. It reported 7,822 divorces in 2021.
