Has divorce become more common in Pakistan over time?
Last reviewed:
Direct answer
The official census share recorded as divorced rose from 0.11% in 2017 to 0.35% in 2023 among the reported population categories. That is evidence of a higher recorded prevalence, but not proof that the underlying risk of divorce tripled. Registration, reporting, population age structure, remarriage and the introduction or treatment of a separate “separated” category affect comparability. Pakistan lacks a complete national annual series of divorces per 1,000 married people, so trend claims should distinguish recorded census status from legal case counts and lifetime marital outcomes.
0.11% → 0.35%recorded divorced share in the 2017 and 2023 censuses
Sources used
National Census Report 2023
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
Official census report defining marital-status categories and reporting national and provincial distributions.View source7th Population and Housing Census 2023
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
Official census context for population, provinces, urban-rural structure and limits of national demographic claims.View source