Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
While the number of people getting married in Germany each year continues to fall, so too does the number of people getting divorced. In 2021, the number of marriages ending in divorce fell to a new low of 142.800.
According to new figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the number of divorces in Germany has fallen every year since 2012 - with the exception of 2019, when there was a small increase. 142.700 marriages were dissolved in 2021, 1.100 fewer than in the previous year, or a decrease of 0,7 percent. The last time so few divorces were recorded in a single year was 1992.
Some people had speculated that the lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic might have brought about an increase in the divorce rate - as more couples were forced to spend time together at home - but this trend has so far failed to materialise.
However, since German divorce law generally requires couples to separate for at least a year before they can divorce, a so-called "corona-effect" might only become apparent in the long term.
According to the figures, less than half of the couples divorcing in 2021 had children under the age of 18. In total, around 12.800 children and young people were affected by their parents divorcing last year.
On average, couples had been married for 14 years and six months before divorcing. Interestingly, many couples wait a long time before dissolving their marriage, with around 22.900 or 16,1 percent of all couples having celebrated their silver wedding anniversary (being married for 25 years) before divorcing.