Living in such a diverse country, we can often get lost in the way our culture operates as opposed to other countries around the world. When it comes to divorce, we often to assume that the United States has to be in the lead compared to the rest of the world. However as progressive as we are, we are not as socially progressive as some European countries.
How does culture factor in to divorce? And what countries lead the world in divorce rates. The most recent statistics come from the Demographics Yearbook, which is generated by countries submitting their data from around the world. It is said that half of all marriages in the US end in divorce; while there is some debate about that statistic, let’s see how other countries from around the world compare with the United States.
Russia
Even over 20 years after the end of the Cold War and the breaking of the Soviet Union, Russia is still competing with the US, and even winning this one. It seems cold weather does not keep people closer together in the largest country in the world. Russia tops the global list of divorce rates with 5 divorces per every 1000 people.
Belarus
Who? Yes the great nation of Belarus. Landlocked in Eastern Europe between Russia, Poland, Lithuania , and Ukraine, this country, with a population of just 9,400,000, boasts the world’s second highest divorce rate with an average of 3.8 divorces per 1000 people. So… Apparently the northern European hemisphere is not the place to live if you’re married.
The Ukraine
And the trend continues… Like its neighbor Belarus, Ukrainian marriages apparently can’t stand the frigid winters. This agriculturally rich country comes in 3rd in the world divorce rankings. Once called the “Bread basket of the Soviet Union,” the Ukraine has a population of 45,888,000 and comes in third for world divorce rankings at 3.6 divorces per 1000 people.
Moldova
If you were hoping for a country in a different part of the world, think again. Continuing the trend of eastern European and former soviet states is the country of Moldova. Did everyone in the former Soviet Union want to get divorced? Moldova, formerly a soviet country, is sandwiched between the previously mentioned Ukraine and Romania. With a small population of just 3,555,000, it boasts the 4th largest divorce rate in the world at 3.5 divorces for every 1000 people. So the lesson through the first four countries is, if you’re recently divorced you now know where there are a lot of divorced singles. Grab your thickest pea coat, brush up on your Ukrainian pick-up lines and head east.
Cayman Islands
Finally, a change of scenery, and a drastic one at that. In a world where off-shore accounts are king, the Cayman Islands also is the land of divorce. A tropical breeze cannot save your marriage here. Not even the place that is considered of having the highest standard of living in the Caribbean can escape marital fractures. With a microscopic population of just 54,000, Caymanians average 3.4 divorces per every 1000 people. Proving that winter hardened eastern Europeans and flip-flop wearing Caymanians do have something in common.
Compared to the rest of the world, the United States ranks 5th in national divorce rates. Although the US is a much larger country than most of the other top 5 places, it nevertheless has a prominent place among the divorce elite. Every state has a different rate, and understandably the cultures and backgrounds of each state may differ, affecting the local views and politics when it comes to divorces. State laws are also different from state to state in dealing with the divorce process. With a population of 314,519,000, the US comes in with a national divorce rate of 3.4 divorces per every 1000 people.
Statistics can change, and are not always accurate. One thing we have learned is that Eastern Europe is rough on marriage, but we still can’t escape break-ups in the tropics. A country’s political, religious, and social climate has a lot to do with way the idea of divorce is handled in a country. While we don’t rank number 1 in the world, the US is still near the top in marital break-ups. Ideas about how to fix the rate of divorces range from ludicrous to insightful. We have only thought about marriage in a better light for tens of years, and it’s hard to change so a large population’s mindset on such a personal issue.