Divorce rate in Belgium
Belgium: Divorce rate was 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Divorce rate in Belgium, 1960–2022
Source: OECD (2025) and other sources – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for divorce rate in Belgium is 1.7 per 1,000 people, measured in 2022.
That represents a change of down 10.5% on the previous year and down 26.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, divorce rate in Belgium peaked at 3.5 per 1,000 people in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0.5 per 1,000 people, in 1960.
Belgium ranks 23rd of 43 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Divorce rate in Belgium, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.5 per 1,000 people | — |
| 1961 | 0.5 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.5 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 0.6 per 1,000 people | +20.0% |
| 1964 | 0.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 0.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 0.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 0.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 0.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 0.7 per 1,000 people | +16.7% |
| 1970 | 0.7 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 0.7 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.8 per 1,000 people | +14.3% |
| 1973 | 0.9 per 1,000 people | +12.5% |
| 1974 | 1 per 1,000 people | +11.1% |
| 1975 | 1.1 per 1,000 people | +10.0% |
| 1976 | 1.3 per 1,000 people | +18.2% |
| 1977 | 1.3 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 1.4 per 1,000 people | +7.7% |
| 1979 | 1.4 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 1.5 per 1,000 people | +7.1% |
| 1981 | 1.6 per 1,000 people | +6.7% |
| 1982 | 1.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 1.7 per 1,000 people | +6.2% |
| 1984 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +11.8% |
| 1985 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 2 per 1,000 people | +5.3% |
| 1988 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +5.0% |
| 1989 | 2 per 1,000 people | -4.8% |
| 1990 | 2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | +5.0% |
| 1992 | 2.2 per 1,000 people | +4.8% |
| 1993 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | -4.5% |
| 1994 | 2.2 per 1,000 people | +4.8% |
| 1995 | 3.5 per 1,000 people | +59.1% |
| 1996 | 2.8 per 1,000 people | -20.0% |
| 1997 | 2.6 per 1,000 people | -7.1% |
| 1998 | 2.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 2.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 2.6 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 2.8 per 1,000 people | +7.7% |
| 2002 | 3 per 1,000 people | +7.1% |
| 2003 | 3 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 3 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 2.9 per 1,000 people | -3.3% |
| 2006 | 2.8 per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 2.8 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 3.3 per 1,000 people | +17.9% |
| 2009 | 3 per 1,000 people | -9.1% |
| 2010 | 2.7 per 1,000 people | -10.0% |
| 2011 | 2.5 per 1,000 people | -7.4% |
| 2012 | 2.3 per 1,000 people | -8.0% |
| 2013 | 2.2 per 1,000 people | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 2.2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 2.2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.1 per 1,000 people | -4.5% |
| 2017 | 2 per 1,000 people | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 2 per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.8 per 1,000 people | -10.0% |
| 2021 | 1.9 per 1,000 people | +5.6% |
| 2022 | 1.7 per 1,000 people | -10.5% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 1.7 per 1,000 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.76 per 1,000 people, 97% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 1.7 per 1,000 people is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.8 per 1,000 people, 94% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Divorce rate in Belgium changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +59.1% | 2.2 per 1,000 people | 3.5 per 1,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.58 per 1,000 people | 0.5 per 1,000 people | 0.7 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.06 per 1,000 people | 0.7 per 1,000 people | 1.4 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.82 per 1,000 people | 1.5 per 1,000 people | 2.1 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.47 per 1,000 people | 2 per 1,000 people | 3.5 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.92 per 1,000 people | 2.6 per 1,000 people | 3.3 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.22 per 1,000 people | 2 per 1,000 people | 2.7 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8 per 1,000 people | 1.7 per 1,000 people | 1.9 per 1,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More reference data data for Belgium
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9298 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.291 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1382 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7526 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is divorce rate in Belgium?
- Divorce rate in Belgium was 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2022, according to OECD (2025) and other sources – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest divorce rate recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 3.5 per 1,000 people in 1995.
- What is the lowest divorce rate recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5 per 1,000 people in 1960.
- How does Belgium rank for divorce rate?
- Belgium ranks 23rd out of 43 countries with data for 2022.
- Is divorce rate rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025) and other sources – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Divorce rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of divorces during a given year per 1,000 people.