Global Divorce Trends: Insights from Muslim, Non-Muslim Countries

In 2023, overall divorce rates continued to rise worldwide, reflecting various cultural, legal, and societal issues. Muslim countries have unfortunately displayed some alarming trends, despite the religion’s emphasis on the importance of this institution.

Kuwait is on the lead with a staggering 48% divorce rate, followed by Egypt (40%), Jordan (37.2%), and Qatar (37%), according to a study by the Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center.

In contrast, Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, boasts a much lower divorce rate of 3.3% (World Bank Data Bank). Other Muslim countries with lower rates include Algeria (1.1%) and Iran (19.6%).

The global average crude divorce rate was about 1.6 divorces per 1000 people in 2022, according to available data online which say Georgia is the country with the highest rate. Interestingly, Western developed and industrialized nations tend to have higher divorce rates than highly religious Asian and African countries, says an article on riding.international website. The United States sits at around 40%, while some European countries like Belgium (70%) and Germany (43%) have even higher rates.

Financial pressures remain the single most force contributing to divorce globally, as highlighted by Pew Research Center. Constant arguing, infidelity, and domestic violence play a critical role in destruction of the family union in other non-Muslim and Muslim-Majority nations, including Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.

Some studies reveal that the media’s portrayal of relationships, unrealistic expectations, and exposure to infidelity narratives can strain marriages. However, experts also emphasize the educational role media can have in developing relationship skills.