In 2017, 15,906 couples in Switzerland got divorced after an average of 15.1 years together. The majority (56%) split before their 15th anniversary.
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In 2017, 40.5% of those married for more than 30 years were divorced, compared to 40.3% in 2016. Breaking up after 30 years of marriage has been rising since records began in 1920 and has risen from 24.7% to 40.5% over the last 20 years.
However, while the rate of divorce after 30 years of marriage has risen, the rate among the more recently married has been on a bumpy decline since 1989. 10.5% of those married in 1989 were divorced after 5 years, far more than the 6.3% of those married in 2012.
Another trend is the rise in average age at first marriage. In 1997 it was 29.8 for men and 27.4 for women. By 2017 it had risen to 32 (+2.2) for men and 29.9 (+2.5) for women.
How does Switzerland compare to other countries?
Divorce rates are higher in the UK. By 2017, 43.6% of those married in 1987 were divorced, 3.1% more than in Switzerland. And, the 30-year rate among those married in the UK in 1977 was 38%, 4.8% more than in Switzerland.
Like Switzerland, UK divorce rates among the more recently married are falling – 11% those married in 1989 were divorced after 5 years compared to only 6.4% of those married in 2012.
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