Briefing from the Secretariat of the Higher Population Council

Stability of Divorce Cases Among Married Women in Jordan During the Period (2015-2023)

The Higher Population Council affirmed that the increase in divorce cases in Jordan is an expected phenomenon, as the number of married couples and new families is increasing year after year, and married couples are the most susceptible group to divorce. Therefore, it is not unexpected or surprising that divorce rates in Jordan are increasing in absolute numbers. (So, what do the data, numbers, and evidence say?)

Official data from the annual reports of the Court of Cassation for the years 2015-2023 indicates stability in the annual number of divorce cases, as illustrated in the figure below.  Therefore, any increase in divorce cases in a particular year cannot be taken as an indicator that should be a cause for concern for those concerned.

Historical records in many societies show that divorce and marriage rates do not necessarily increase during periods of economic decline; rather, the opposite often occurs. This was evident during the 2008 global financial crisis when divorce rates declined significantly in Western countries. Data shows that the divorce rate in Jordan over the past nine years has not been on an upward trend but has remained stable at an annual average of approximately 2.5 divorces per 1,000 people. Moreover, the ratio of marriages to divorces during this period was about four marriages for every one divorced after the wedding

There is another fact that many people overlook, which is that not all recorded divorces are for couples who are married, meaning they did not occur after the consummation of the marriage or after the couple began living together and starting a new family. According to the data shown in the figure below, approximately 27% of all divorce cases recorded in Jordanian Sharia courts over the past nine years occurred before the consummation of the marriage, meaning that the marriage contract was signed but the marriage was not consummated. This implies that no actual family was formed, no children were born, and consequently, there are no repercussions of this type of divorce on children. Furthermore, divorce before consummation also increases the chances of remarriage for women who were divorced before the wedding. The overall percentage of divorced women who remarried during the past nine years was approximately 19% of the total number of marriages during this period.

It is also worth noting that a high percentage of divorce cases among married women are "revocable divorces," meaning they can be reversed. In 2023 alone, revocable divorces accounted for 26% of all divorce cases that year.

However, a concerning statistic is that more than half (54%) of those who experienced divorce were under the age of 30, meaning their marriages ended within the early years of married life. Therefore, if newlyweds take more time before having their first child, this could help shield children from the consequences of divorce if it occurs too soon after the wedding.

Lastly, we would like to clarify that, given the relatively low number of girls married under the age of 18 compared to older age groups, only 4% of those who divorced were under 18. This addresses the question of whether early marriage significantly contributes to divorce cases.