The report of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics on divorce rates in Egypt is alarming, calling for urgent action by the state. In terms of the ratio of divorce to total marriages, Egypt recorded a significant increase in divorce rates during the last 50 years, from 7 per cent to 40 per cent, in which the number of divorced women reached more than 3 million.
Only a few minutes of waiting in front of family dispute settlement offices - which were established in accordance with Law No. (10) of 2004, as part of the steps to an amicable settlement that precedes the litigation stage in family disputes - are needed for one to observe the state of fragmentation within the Egyptian society.
Key Statistics and Trends
The total number of divorces in Egypt increased to 269,800 in 2022, compared to 254,800 divorces in 2021, an increase of 5.9 per cent, and 222,039 divorces in 2020, compared to 162,000 divorces in 2013, the year of the military coup in the country.
According to the report, divorce rates in urban areas are higher than in rural areas. One divorce case happens approximately every two minutes.
These data reflect the need to change some personal status laws to be more equitable to women.
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Factors Influencing Divorce Rates
Economic Pressures
The economy is one of the biggest influences on social relations. An Egyptian lawyer spoke to the Middle East Monitor, saying that the current economic situation and the inability to provide living needs is the main reason behind most of the divorces that he handles as an attorney for the wife, noting that many cases of divorce are due to the fact that the husband is a wage worker (is paid on a daily basis).
He adds, after requesting that his name not be mentioned, that a family consisting of a husband and wife only requires 5,000 Egyptian pounds (about $162) a month, while the number doubles if there are two or more children.
A few days ago, and following a disagreement over the household expenses, an Egyptian citizen shot his wife and four children, in the Warraq area of Giza Governorate (near the capital), which resulted in the death of the eldest son (22 years old), and the injury of the wife and 3 other children. According to the investigations, the defendant receives daily wages, only getting paid on the days he works. A verbal argument took place between him and his wife because of the household expenses, which escalated to a physical fight, causing the oldest son to intervene.
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is one of the most important causes that lead to divorce. It is not linked to a specific social class and occurs in various environments.
The Economy of Egypt: Repeating History?
Societal Trends and Government Initiatives
“Why has divorce spread (its rate has increased)?” This is the hashtag that was trending in Egypt years ago, in 2017. As divorce rates fall in the West-where more and more couples are avoiding marriage in the first place-the number of divorces in the Arab world has been steadily climbing for decades. In Egypt, for example, the divorce rate skyrocketed by 83 percent between 1996 and 2017. Today, roughly one in four marriages in Egypt end in divorce. Recent numbers from Egypt’s cabinet claim the number is as high as 40 percent.
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But in Egypt, one answer may lie in the age that couples get married in the first place. Couples that marry young are less mature, financially independent (increasingly less so), and stable in their relationship-all foundational parts of successful marriages. While young couples in the West are shying away from marriage amid rising economic pressures, young Egyptians still face pressure to marry young. In 2020, women’s average age at marriage in the United Kingdom was 35.7 years old. In 2018, the average age for Egyptian women was only 20.2 years old.
As the Egyptian government tries to discourage divorce, it’s intervening before young couples even tie the knot. In 2019, the Egyptian government launched a nationwide campaign to help prepare young Egyptians to work through common marriage problems. The initiative hired thousands of professors and religious leaders to teach young Egyptian university students tools for conflict management and better communication skills before they get married. The program also established over 200 “marriage dispute settlement offices” around the country. Other state-affiliated institutions are taking their own action. Egypt does not want to replicate the West’s experience of declining rates of marriage.
Divorce Rate Calculations
There are three ratios used for divorce rate calculations: crude divorce rate, refined divorce rate, and divorce-to-marriage ratio.
- Crude Divorce Rate: This is divorces per 1,000 population per year. For example, if a city has 10,000 people living in it, and 30 couples divorce in one year, then the crude divorce rate for that year is 3 divorces per 1,000 residents. The crude divorce rate can give a general overview of marriage in an area, but it does not take people who cannot marry into account.
- Divorce-to-Marriage Ratio: This compares the number of divorces in a given year to the number of marriages in that same year (the ratio of the crude divorce rate to the crude marriage rate). For example, if there are 500 divorces and 1,000 marriages in a given year in a given area, the ratio would be one divorce for every two marriages, e.g. a ratio of 0.50 (50%). However, this measurement compares two unlike populations - those who can marry and those who can divorce.
In any given year, underlying rates may change, and this can affect the ratio. For example, during an economic downturn, some couples might postpone a divorce because they can't afford to live separately.
Read also: Comprehensive Divorce Guide
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