Divorce Statistics Europe

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According to a survey conducted to find out the divorce statistics in Europe, it was revealed that Britain has the highest percentage of break ups or divorces taking place among the countries of the European Union. And it was further also found out that there are the highest number of single parents in Britain. Considering 1000 people who were married, the statistics reveled by the government figures showed that the percentage of divorces in Britain was 2.7, compared to 1.8 of the other European countries. A shocking figure showed that more than a quarter of British children are forced to remain with only one of the parents, mostly the mother, as compared to only 14 percent in the rest of the European countries. The blame was put on the increasing demands of the employers on their employees as well as the need to commute to longer distances for work, leaving the person with hardly any time to spend with the family.

From 1950 to 2000, the trend in the United Kingdom was that the number of marriages decreased and the number of divorces increased. This tendency was then observed throughout the other countries of Europe as well. Initially, such a drift took place in North Europe and later in the South as well as the West.

In 1969, the Divorce Reform Act was introduced and this was followed by a speedy increase in the divorce statistics in Europe. During 2000, the divorce rate in this nation was 2.6 divorces per 1000 population.

In 2002, the average duration of marriage in this country was 11 years. A majority of men relied on 2 years of consent and separation, while a plethora of women relied on the base of unreasonable demeanor.

It was found that in the following conditions, couples were more likely to opt for divorce:

• A previous divorce,
• Job stress and
• Pre- marital birth

Divorce Statistics in the other countries of the European Union

The divorce rate in the rest of the countries of the European Union, excluding United Kingdom, was 1.9 divorces per 1000 population in the year 2000. During the same year, the country with the highest rate of divorces in Europe was Belgium with 2.9 divorces per 1000 population. The least rate of break ups or divorces in this continent was 0.7 divorces per 1000 individuals and this existed in Italy and the Republic of Ireland. The overall divorce rate in the European Union was 2 divorces per 1000 married persons.

Why the divorce statistics in Europe are low?

The Commission for European Family Law comprises of 22 countries. A majority of these nations:

• Have compulsory counseling that must be experienced by the divorcing couple prior to finalization of the divorce and
• Have compulsory waiting periods prior to the finalization of a divorce.

The above mentioned factors may have resulted in decrease of the divorce statistics in Europe (relative to the United States). Additionally, a huge percentage of mainland Europe is either Catholic Orthodox or Christian in their beliefs. These people are of the opinion that a break up or a divorce is not a solution to a sequence of a dissatisfied relationship between the couple or a set of minor disagreements. Therefore, such people look to divorce only as a final option when there is really no hope left for the couple. The cumulative effect of all the above factors is that the divorce rate in nations like Italy is historically lesser than the remaining countries in the European continent.

Other divorce statistics in Europe

From 1981 to 1990, the number of break ups or divorces in the European continent increased by 140 percent and the separations increased by 120 percent. In 1950, 500 men and 1600 women made applications for separation in Spain. These statistics rose to 29,500 among men and 52,000 among women in 1970. These divorce statistics in Europe further shot up to 134,040 men and 208,430 women in 1986, reflecting on the horror of the growing number of break ups taking place in the countries of the European Union.

It is but obvious that these figures which reveal a growing percentage in the divorce statistics in Europe will only make someone wanting to step into his or her wedding shoes think twice before taking the ultimate plunge. However, the optimists still believe that there are chances that these might recede in the near future if more and more focus is placed on the ideals of the Christian faith, which believes in the individuals remaining together trying to work out their differences through peaceful means.

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