Number of divorces reaches highest level in Georgia in 2016

The number of marriages registered in 2016 significantly reduced, while the number of divorces increased a lot compared to 2015.

The information was released by the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) on October 16.

The statistics also read that in 2015 a total of 29,157 marriages were registered, and in 2016 -25,101.

More specifically, in 2015, in urban areas a total of 17,127 marriages were registered while in rural territories the number of registered marriages was 12,030. As for 2016, 14,961 couples registered their marriages in urban areas and only 10,140 in rural settlements.

As for the capital, according to the National Statistics Office, in 2015 a total of 8,249 couples registered marriages in Tbilisi. In 2016, the number of registered marriages was reduced to 7,304.

The number of registered marriages according to the self-governing units looks as follows:
Autonomous Republic of Adjara –3,002 marriages were registered in 2015; 2,631 - in 2016.
Guria – 773 marrigies were registered in 2016; 752 - in 2016;
Imereti – 4,444 in 2015; 3,832 in 2016;
Kakheti –2,420 in 2015; 1,936 in 2016;
Mtskheta-Mtianeti –555 in 2015; 567 in 2016;
Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti - 232 in 2015, 203 in 2016;
Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region - 2,598 in 2015 and 2,241 in 2016;
Samtskhe-Javakheti region – 1,232 in 2015, 1,071 in 2016;
Kvemo Kartli – 3,787 in 2015, 2,867 in 2016;
Shida Kartli – 1,865 in 2015 and in 2016 - 1,697.

The data does not contain statistics from the occupied territories of Georgia Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

As for divorce, the official data reads that in 2016 9,539 couples divorced, 6,565 (68.8%) out of them in urban areas and 2,974 (31.2%) in rural settlements.

Divorce data of various years looks as follows: 1990 – 7,796, 1995 – 2,685, 2000 – 1,854, 2005 – 1,928, 2006 – 2,060, 2007 – 2,325, 2008 – 3,189 , 2009 – 4,030. 2010 – 4,726, 2011 – 5,850, 2012 year – 7,136, 2013 – 8,089, 2014 – 9,119, 2015 – 9,112 and 2016 year 9,539.

Increasing divorce rates in Georgia, which is considered a traditional culture, might be explained by better awareness of partners on their rights and independence as well as deteriorating socio-economic conditions, which many families are facing these days.