Divorce Rate in Canada

The divorce rate in Canada remained low well into the last century. There were two main reasons for this phenomena:

Canada's divorce rates were low until well into in the last century.

• Divorce was considered unacceptable for both social and religious reasons.
• Divorce was not available as a legal option in all parts of Canada.

In 1900, less than 15 divorces were granted in all of Canada. Prior to 1968, the only legal ground for divorce was adultery. In 1968, the Divorce Act came into effect. Under this legislation, a divorce could be granted on the grounds of marriage breakdown. (The couple had to have been separated for a period of at least three years.) As a result, the number of divorces granted between 1968-1970 jumped by almost 200%.

In 1986, the Divorce Act was amended to shorten the length of time a separated couple had to wait to be divorced. Instead of a three-year separation, couples could be divorced after only 12 months. As a result, the divorce rate in Canada took another jump. In 1987, more than 90,000 divorces were granted.

According to Statistics Canada, in 1973, 5.4% of divorces involved men who had already been divorced at least once. By 2003, this number had jumped to 16.2%. The same trend holds true for women; 5.4% of women who divorced in 1973 had previously had a marriage end in divorce. Thirty years later, the number stood at 15.7%.

Based on statistics from 2003, the percentage of marriages predicted to end in divorce by the 30th anniversary is 38.3%. Canadian divorce rates rise during the first three years after the wedding. After that point, however, the likelihood of divorce decreases the longer the couple has been married.

• Community Property with Right of Survivorship
• Divorce Equitable Distribution
• Division of Marital Property

• Free Legal Separation Forms
• Divorce Statistics
• Legal Separation
• Filing for Legal Separation
• Green Card Divorce

• Alimony Figures
• Adultery and Divorce
• Canadian Online Divorces
• Canadian Divorce Laws
• Divorce Statistics