The divorce rate fell during the year of the first lockdowns in spite of speculation that for many the coronavirus pandemic would prove an intolerable strain on marriage.
In 2020 there were 103,592 divorces granted in England and Wales, a decrease of 4.5 per cent on the previous year, according to the Office for National Statistics.
For same-sex couples, however, there was a rise of more than 40 per cent: from 822 in 2019 to 1,154 in 2020. Of these 71 per cent were divorces between female couples.
There were 102,438 heterosexual divorces in 2020, a decrease of 4.7 per cent.
The “no-fault” divorce law to be introduced in April may have had an effect, with unhappy couples deciding to wait.
The Ministry of Justice
