Divorce statistics do not indicate worrying social trend – HPC

AMMAN — The rise in divorce cases in Jordan is a natural consequence of the rising number of marriage rates and new families each year, the Higher Population Council (HPC) said on Monday, stressing that the growing number does not indicate worrying social trends.

Citing data from the Supreme Court covering the years 2015 to 2023, the council said that the divorce rate in Jordan has remained stable at about 2.5 cases per 1,000 people per year. 

The ratio of marriages to divorces has also remained constant, with four marriages taking place for every divorce, the HPC added, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Approximately 27 per cent of the divorce cases recorded in Sharia courts over the past nine years were before the consummation of marriage, the council said, explaining that this category of divorce often allows women to remarry, with 19 per cent of these women later remarrying.

The report also highlighted that reversible divorces - cases where couples can reconcile – made up the largest proportion of all divorces in 2023, accounting for 26 per cent of cases. It also found that 45 per cent of women who divorced were under the age of 30. 

As a measure of stability, the council encouraged newlyweds to consider postponing childbirth until they are well adjusted to married life.

The report also addressed early marriage, noting that the number of brides under 18 was relatively low compared to other age groups. It added that divorces of women married before the age of 18 accounted for about 4 per cent of all recorded divorces.