'Couples Married for 30 Years' Share of Gray Divorce Increases 2.5 Times in 10 Years'

2021 Marriage and Divorce Statistics

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Son Seon-hee] The proportion of couples divorcing after more than 30 years of marriage has increased more than 2.5 times in 10 years. This is so-called 'Hwanghon Divorce' (late-life divorce).

According to the '2021 Marriage and Divorce Statistics' recently released by Statistics Korea on the 19th, the proportion of divorces by marriage duration last year showed that those lasting '30 years or more' accounted for 17.6%, a significant increase compared to 7.0% in 2011, 10 years ago.

In terms of proportion, it was the second highest following the 0-4 years marriage duration group (18.8%). This was followed by 5-9 years (17.1%) and 10-14 years (14.3%).

Overall, as the number of marriages itself decreases, the total number of divorces is also on a declining trend, but divorces among the elderly are increasing. In fact, divorce rates decreased in all age groups except for those '60 years and older' compared to the previous year.

Looking at the number of divorces among couples who have been married for more than 30 years, there were 17,869 cases, an increase of 7.5% (1,240 cases) compared to the previous year. Compared to 10 years ago, this is about 2.2 times higher.

No Hyung-jun, head of the Population Trends Division at Statistics Korea, explained, "As the elderly population grows and life expectancy lengthens, the number of people who can choose divorce in their remaining life continues to increase."

As 'Hwanghon Divorce' increases, the average age at divorce is also steadily rising. Last year, the average divorce age for men was 50.1 years, up 0.8 years from the previous year. Compared to 10 years ago, it increased by 4.7 years. The average divorce age for women was also 46.8 years, up 0.8 years from the previous year and 5.2 years higher than 10 years ago.

By region, the divorce composition ratio was highest in Gyeonggi (26.8%), Seoul (14.7%), and Gyeongnam (6.9%). Divorce cases increased by 3.8% in Sejong compared to the previous year, while all other 16 metropolitan cities and provinces saw decreases.

The crude divorce rate was highest in Incheon and Chungnam (2.3 cases), followed by Jeju and Ulsan (2.2 cases), and lowest in Seoul (1.6 cases), Sejong, and Daegu (1.7 cases).