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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Jessica Knibbs

London and UK’s divorce hotspots revealed: new data shows how many marriages and partnerships breakup

The divorce rate in the United Kingdom is estimated at 42 per cent, with many believing these rates have increased in recent years.

Unreasonable behaviour is the number one reason for divorce in the UK, with adultery being responsible for around 14 per cent of marriage breakups.

The average length of marriage in the UK at the time of divorce for opposite-sex couples is 11.9 years, and the average UK divorce age for women is 43.9 and 46.4 for men.

Divorce not only takes an emotional toll on a couple but can also hit their finances, with legal fees being the most common divorce cost in the UK, with an average spend of £14,561.

Newly published figures from the 2021 Census collected by the Office for National Statistics has revealed the proportion of people who divorce by area.

Who gets the most divorces and separations in London?

According to the data, Southwark has the highest divorce rate compared to any other areas in London, with a 10.3 per cent rate.

This follows areas including Kensington and Chelsea, Islington, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Hackney at 10 per cent.

Lewisham and Lambeth follow closely behind with 9.9 per cent, followed by Barking and Dagenham and Greenwich at 9.8 per cent.

According to the data, the area with the lowest divorce rate in London is Harrow, at six per cent.

Who gets the most divorces and separations across the whole of the UK?

Norwich has the highest divorce rate compared to any other area in the UK, with a 12.8 per cent rate.

Following Norwich, the second-highest divorce rate in the UK is in Hastings and Blackpool, both with a 12.1 per cent rate.

Other areas in the UK with high divorce rates include:

  • Lincoln 11.9 per cent
  • Gosport 11.9 per cent
  • Eastbourne 11.7 per cent
  • Portsmouth 11.6 per cent
  • Torbay 11.5 per cent
  • Great Yarmouth 11.4 per cent
  • Plymouth 11.4 per cent
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