Latest CSO figures show gradual increase in divorce

Diarmaid Murray

Number of divorced people has increased since 2002, with Ireland’s cities seeing the highest rates of divorce

The number of divorced people in Ireland has risen by more than 150% in 10 years.

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) the number of divorces in 2011 stood at 87,770 – up from 35,059 recorded in the 2002 census.

The number of married people in Ireland increased by almost 10% between 2006 and 2011.

The highest rates of marriage breakdown were in the cities.

Limerick had the highest rate of divorce with 13.5%. Waterford and Dublin were second and third with 12.5% and 12.4% respectively.

“We certainly have seen an increase in divorce applications in the last 10 years, although nothing dramatic,” said John Gaynor of John Gaynor Solicitors, Thomas Street.
“When divorce came in we had a large number of applications. Since then we’ve had a steady flow,” he added.

There were more women than men in both divorce and separation categories.

The figure for re-marriage has risen from 21,400 in 2002 to over 42,960 in 2011.

The CSO also found that divorced men are much more likely to re-marry as opposed to women – 39% of divorced men having re-married in contrast to only 28% of divorced women.

Divorced men are also more likely to live without their children, with 78% of divorced men living in a childless household as opposed to 44.5% of women.

The percentage of single people in Ireland aged over 15 fell from 43.1% in 2006 to 41.7% in 2011.

The CSO statistics were released to account for the Republic only, not Northern Ireland.