In this article, we will list 20 African countries with the highest divorce rate. Before going to the list, let’s take a look at divorces in the United States and the divorce industry operating in the country.
Divorce and marriage rates have been on the decline in the United States. As we learned in our piece about the states with the highest divorce rates, the national divorce rate was 6.9 per 1000 women aged 15 and above in 2021. The marriage rate during the same year was 14.9 per 1000. Almost 674,000 divorces were recorded in the United States in 2022. During the same year, more than two million marriages were recorded.
The percentage of ever-divorced people is higher among the older age group. Data from the US Census Bureau indicate that 34% of women and 33% of men among ever-married adults aged more than 20 years had been divorced at least once. However, among ever-married adults aged between 55 and 64, the divorce rate was recorded at nearly 43%. Interestingly, divorce rates tend to be the lowest among Among Asians as only 14% ever married Asian women and 11% ever married Asian men were divorced at least once.
While the divorce rate might be decreasing in the United States, divorces are getting messier, leading to increased associated costs. We learned in our piece about the 20 countries with the highest divorce rate that the average separation now stretches to at least six sessions with a mediator. The Wall Street Journal estimates that on average each spouse pays $11,300 to an attorney as of 2019.
It is interesting to note that the chances of divorce in the US decrease with an increase in income. According to a divorce law firm by the name of Wilkinson and Finkbeiner, people who make more than $75,000 annually are less likely to get divorced, and an annual income higher than $50,000 reduces the risk of divorce by 30%.
Despite falling divorce rates, the divorce industry is huge in the United States. In our piece about the countries with the lowest Divorce rates, we learned that the industry is worth $28 billion a year. The costs of divorce include hiring a lawyer, court fees, marshal fees, filing expenses, and other related expenses. Some companies in the country help in assisting with divorces. These include Tyler Technologies Inc (NYSE:TYL) and LegalZoom.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:LZ).
Tyler Technologies Inc (NYSE:TYL) improves access to justice for citizens facing disputes. Divorce is one of these disputes and the company’s online dispute resolution platform helps navigate the process. The company also offers support for mediation and evaluation. Another related dispute that the company helps with is that of child custody.
Legalzoom.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:LZ) allows people to get legal guidance from trusted attorneys on personal legal matters. It also offers advice on filing for a divorce online including getting online divorce papers.
With that backdrop, let’s look at the 20 African countries with the highest divorce rates.
20 States with the Highest Divorce Rates in the US
Methodology
To curate our list of the 20 African countries with the highest divorce rates, we relied on information from a paper about divorce in Sub-Saharan Africa by professors at McGill University. The paper provided us with the most accurate form of data regarding divorce rates in African countries. We used their data about the percentage of the first union that ended through divorce in 15 to 19 years of marriage. The higher this percentage, the higher the country ranks on our list.
It is worth noting that because of limitations regarding accurate data, our list only includes Sub-Saharan countries which make up 46 out of 54 African countries.
20 – Rwanda
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 21.18%
Rwanda is 20th on our list of African countries with the highest divorce rate. According to the Rwanda Judiciary Report of 2022/2023, divorce rates in the country have been climbing over the past few years. The most common reasons cited for divorce are adultery and gender-based violence.
19 – Cote d’Ivoire
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 22.32%
The civil code of Cote d’Ivoire governs the divorce and separation laws in the country. In the absence of mutual consent, a court can grant a divorce based on specific grounds. These grounds for divorce include adultery, cruelty, and abandonment.
18 – Namibia
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 23%
Namibia is 18th on our list of 20 African countries with the highest divorce rate. In 2022, Namibia’s government introduced plans to make getting a divorce cheaper and easier, as previously the access to divorce was limited to high courts, which were inaccessible to the poor population. In addition, the new divorce law in Namibia establishes that the only ground for divorce is the irretrievable breakdown of marriage.
17 – Chad
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 24.01%
Chad is 17th on our list of 20 African countries with the highest divorce rate. The country still uses the French Civil Code of 1958. Under this code, both men and women can apply for divorce on fault-based grounds, and the spouses also equally share responsibilities and rights for their children after the divorce.
16 – Sierra Leone
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 25.23%
Sierra Leone has four types of marriages: marriage under the Christian Ordinance, Marriage under the Mohammedan Marriage Ordinance, marriage under the civil marriage ordinance, and marriage under customary law. A judicial decree is enough to dissolve marriages under the Christian and civil marriage ordinances. However, the dissolution of marriage under Mohammedan marriage is done according to Islamic law through repudiation. As far as the customary marriage is concerned, both wife and husband can declare divorce in front of witnesses.
15 – Togo
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 28.01%
Togo is among the top 15 African countries with the highest divorce rate. Divorce in the country can be obtained through either mutual consent or a court system. In the absence of mutual consent, some of the grounds for divorce in the country include adultery, abandonment, domestic violence, and irreconcilable differences.
14 – Democratic Republic of Congo
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 28.76%
The Democratic Republic of Congo is 14th on our list of African countries with the highest divorce rate. The country faces the issue of child marriages as, according to various sources online, close to 30% of girls in the country get married before turning 18, although the legal age of marriage is 18, and the law strictly prohibits children from marrying.
13 – Cameroon
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 29.36%
In recent times, the divorce rates in Cameroon are increasing. In the absence of mutual consent, some of the grounds for divorce in Cameroon include adultery, desertion, and separation for a considerable period. In the case of children, the custody is decided by the court, keeping in view the best outcome for them.
12 – Zambia
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 29.84%
Zambia is among the top 12 African countries with the highest divorce rates. Men and Women in the country have equal rights to petition the High Court of Zambia for divorce. However, the only ground for divorce in the country is the breakdown of marriage irretrievably. According to the Zambia Daily Newspaper, more than 31,000 marriages in the country ended in divorce in 2022.
11 – Tanzania
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 30.04%
Tanzania records 300 divorces each month, according to a paper published by Khatibu Kazungu of the Open University of Tanzania and Mwoya Byaro of the Institute of Rural Development Planning. Some of the reasons for divorce in the country include conflicts, failure to consummate, adultery, desertion, and cruelty.
10 – Uganda
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 30.28%
Uganda is among the top 10 African countries with the highest divorce rate. The Marriage Act of Uganda realizes civil, Muslim, church, Hindu, and customary marriages. However, according to the United Nations, the Ugandan family and divorce law discriminates against women. This is because, while a husband can seek divorce on the grounds of adultery, the wife needs to establish adultery or desertion for more than two years. There is an exception in the case of Christian marriage where a wife can seek divorce if her husband renounces Christianity.
9 – Ethiopia
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 30.57%
There are two ways to get a divorce in Ethiopia. The first is by mutual agreement, and the second is by going to the court. In the first instance, the couple can file for divorce after six months of their marriage. Their request must include provision for financial division and child arrangement for the court’s approval. However, in the second case, the person filing for divorce must include reasons for divorce and details of how property should be divided.
8 – Mozambique
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 30.73%
Mozambique is 8th on our list of 20 African countries with the highest divorce rate. The country historically had family laws that discriminated against women, however, a new Family Law was introduced in March 2005, which allowed women to seek divorce in the case of domestic violence or infidelity. In addition, it also raised the minimum age of marriage of girls to 18 and allowed widows to inherit land and other property.
7 – Ghana
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 33.22%
Data from Ghana’s 2021 Population and Housing Census shows that more than half a million people in the country are divorced. In addition, more than 400,000 people in the country had gone through a separation.
6 – Malawi
Percentage of First Union Ended Through Divorce in 15 to 19 years – 33.77%
Malawi is one of the few African countries where divorces are common, and remarriage is considered socially acceptable. According to a paper published in the Journal of the Econometric Society, lifetime divorce probability in Malawi is between 40% and 65% and over 40% if women remarry within two years of divorce.