Divorce rate in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Divorce rate was 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2020. ▲ Rising
Divorce rate in United Kingdom, 1965–2020
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 United Kingdom stood at 1.7 per 1,000 people.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.6% on the previous year and down 19.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, divorce rate in United Kingdom peaked at 3 per 1,000 people in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.7 per 1,000 people, in 1965.
That places United Kingdom 23rd out of 43 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.78 per 1,000 people | 0.7 per 1,000 people | 0.9 per 1,000 people | 5 |
| 1970s | 2.01 per 1,000 people | 1 per 1,000 people | 2.6 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.65 per 1,000 people | 2.6 per 1,000 people | 2.8 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.8 per 1,000 people | 2.7 per 1,000 people | 3 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.51 per 1,000 people | 2 per 1,000 people | 2.8 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.87 per 1,000 people | 1.5 per 1,000 people | 2.1 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.7 per 1,000 people | 1.7 per 1,000 people | 1.7 per 1,000 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More reference data data for United Kingdom
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.37 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 2.09 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.4402 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies -0.1504 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.74 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 153.13 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 United Kingdom?
- Divorce rate in United Kingdom was 1.7 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 3 per 1,000 people in 1996.
- What is the lowest divorce rate recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7 per 1,000 people in 1965.
- How does United Kingdom rank for divorce rate?
- United Kingdom ranks 23rd out of 43 countries with data for 2020.
- Is divorce rate rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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 — 56 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.