Divorce rate in Canada
Canada: Divorce rate was 1.1 per 1,000 people in 2020. ▼ Falling
Divorce rate in Canada, 1970–2020
Source: OECD (2025) and other sources – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
In 2020, divorce rate in Canada stood at 1.1 per 1,000 people. That is the lowest value across all 42 years on record.
The figure is down 26.7% on the previous year and down 46.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, divorce rate in Canada peaked at 3.6 per 1,000 people in 1987 and was at its lowest, 1.1 per 1,000 people, in 2020.
That places Canada 39th out of 43 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 42 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.4 per 1,000 people | 1.4 per 1,000 people | 1.4 per 1,000 people | 1 |
| 1980s | 2.84 per 1,000 people | 2.4 per 1,000 people | 3.6 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.58 per 1,000 people | 2.3 per 1,000 people | 2.8 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.21 per 1,000 people | 2.07 per 1,000 people | 2.3 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.8 per 1,000 people | 1.5 per 1,000 people | 2.05 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1 per 1,000 people | 1.1 per 1,000 people | 1.1 per 1,000 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More reference data data for Canada
- Spring temperature anomalies -4.58 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.7 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 2.12 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2.47 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -2.57 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 140.97 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is divorce rate in Canada?
- Divorce rate in Canada was 1.1 per 1,000 people in 2020, according to OECD (2025) and other sources – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest divorce rate recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 3.6 per 1,000 people in 1987.
- What is the lowest divorce rate recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1 per 1,000 people in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for divorce rate?
- Canada ranks 39th out of 43 countries with data for 2020.
- Is divorce rate rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada 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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CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of divorces during a given year per 1,000 people.