The Phenomenon of Divorce in Egypt… Causes, Repercussions and Ways of Confrontation

The report of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics on divorce rates in Egypt is shocking and calls for urgent action by the state. Increasing divorce rates is a major threat to social peace in Egypt

Egyptian society is witnessing many challenges and problems due to social and economic changes and tremendous technological development, the most dangerous of which is the collapse of the family and a threat to the cohesion and stability of the entire society, a waste of state resources and a certain loss of any efforts aimed at achieving sustainable development and raising the quality of life of the Egyptian citizen.

The Strategic Forum for Public Policies and Development Studies “Draya” issues a detailed report that monitors the reality of the significant increase in divorce rates, highlights its causes and repercussions, as well as the efforts of the Egyptian state to confront this phenomenon, and finally provides some recommendations through which divorce rates can be reduced and the family Egyptian can be preserved.

First: Indicators of divorce in Egypt

According to the Analytical Report of the Annual Bulletin of Marriage and Divorce Statistics in 2021 issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, the number of divorces recorded a huge increase compared to 2020, reaching 14 .7%, with the number of divorces in 2021 reaching about 254 thousand and 777 cases in 2021, compared to 222 thousand and 36 cases in 2020.

Final divorce judgments also jumped by 38.4%, reaching 11,194 in 2021, compared to 8,086 in 2020, and the number of divorce certificates increased by 13.9%, reaching 243,583 in 2021, compared to 213,950 in 2020.

Figure No. (1) Shows the evolution of divorce cases during the period (2017-2021)

Source: Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics

Divorce rates are higher in urban than in rural areas

According to the report, divorce rates in urban areas are higher than in rural areas. From 2017 to 2021, the data showed an increase in urban divorce rates from 2.7 per a thousand of the population in 2017, then reached a state of stability during the years 2018, 2019, 2020, to record 2.9 per a thousand of the population and then increased in 2021 to reach 3.3 per a thousand of the population..

The divorce rate in the countryside also recorded a state of stability during the years 2017 and 2018, reaching 1.6 per a thousand of the population, then it rose to 1.8 per a thousand of the population in 2019, then decreased in 2020 to reach 1.7 per a thousand of the population, and then increased in 2021 to reach to 1.9 per a thousand of the population.

Figure No. (2) Shows the evolution of divorce cases in rural and urban areas during (2017-2021)

Source: Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics

The relative stability in divorce rates in the period from 2017: 2019 may be due to the state of economic stability witnessed by the Egyptian state in that period until the Corona pandemic and its repercussions occurred, which led to a rise in divorce rates again in 2020 and reached its peak in 2021, while the reasons of the rise in divorce rates in urban areas may be different from those in the countryside due to the different status of women in urban areas where they can work and rely entirely on their income, as well as the adherence of rural societies in general to customs and traditions and the negative view of divorced women that reduce their position in society.

 One divorce case every two minutes. And newlyweds make up the largest percentage of divorce cases

Statistics indicate that there is a divorce case every two minutes, while 29 divorces occur every hour in 2021, compared to 23.7 divorces in 2017, with an average increase of 5.4 cases per hour..

According to Statistics Authority data, the average age of divorce for males is approximately 39-40 years, while the average age of divorce for females is approximately 32-33 years

Intermediate degree holders are the highest in divorce rates

The highest divorce rate for males was recorded among those with an intermediate degree, where the number of divorce certificates reached 87,404, or 35.5%, while the lowest divorce rate was recorded among those with a higher university degree, where the number of divorce certificates reached 338, or 0.1% of the total divorce certificates.

The highest divorce rate for females was recorded among those holding an intermediate degree, as the number of divorce certificates reached 79,871 at a rate of 32.8%, while the lowest divorce rate was recorded among women with a higher university degree, where the number of divorce certificates reached 253, or 0.1% of the total certificates.

Cairo the highest divorce rates, and Assiut the lowest

Cairo topped the republic’s governorates in high divorce rates for the year 2021, reaching 5.4 per  a thousand of the population, after it was 4.7 in 2020, followed by Alexandria governorate at a rate of 4.1 per a thousand of the population, and then Port Said at 3.8 per a thousand of the population.

Assiut governorate recorded the lowest divorce rates, at 1.1 per a thousand of the population, followed by Minya at 1.3 per a thousand of the population.

Figure (3) shows the divorce rates for the governorates of the Republic in 2021

Source: Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics

Khula records the highest percentage of divorce rulings

Divorce due to khula recorded the highest percentage, reaching 9,197 divorce rulings at a rate of 82.2%, followed by divorce due to abuse, while the divorce due to the husband’s imprisonment recorded the lowest percentage in the final divorce rulings, reaching only three rulings, at a rate of 0.03% of the total final divorce rulings.

These data reflect the need to change some personal status laws to be more equitable to women. These flawed laws often prevent women from obtaining their full rights through divorce, which makes women seeking divorce as a last resort to obtain divorce, even if they have given up most of their rights.

Second, the reasons for the high divorce rates

1-Economic pressures and burdens

The economy is one of the biggest influences on social relations. The low income, increased financial burdens and lack of commitment to spending are the reasons for family disputes that end in divorce.

2- The Prevalence of social media: Social media is an effective factor in the formation of social and marital relationships, as it is the most decisive means currently affecting the lives of individuals, and many studies have indicated that these means were the main cause of infidelity incidents.

3- Domestic violence: Domestic violence is one of the most important causes that lead to divorce. It is not linked to a specific social class and occurs in various environments. This phenomenon has recently increased and led to many murders of husbands and wives.

4- Cultural and social differences: differences between the two parties, such as those related to upbringing, thinking and education, lead to the inability to understand between the spouses and end in divorce and the disintegration of the family.

5- Decreased ability to take responsibility for the newer generations: Recent studies indicate that the new generations do not have the appropriate emotional balance or the ability to take responsibility because their families meet all their requests without discussion, in addition to ignorance of the provisions of divorce.

 Third: The Egyptian state’s efforts to curb the increase in divorce rates

1- The National Project for the Development of the Egyptian Family: The project was launched with the aim of improving the quality of life of the Egyptian family, preventing it from disintegration and helping it achieve cohesion among them.

“2-”Mawaddah” project: This project was launched by the Ministry of Social Solidarity with the aim of qualifying persons who are about to marry of both sexes and preparing them to start a successful married life, through psychological, health, social and legal rehabilitation and awareness of ways to assume the responsibilities of marriage, concepts of reproductive health and positive education for children

3-Establishment of a “Lam Al Shaml” (reunion)” unit: Al-Azhar Center for Electronic Fatwas created “Lam Al Shaml” (reunion)” unit with the aim of protecting the Egyptian family from the danger of disintegration, settling disputes between the two parties, reducing the phenomenon of divorce, spreading community awareness and rehabilitating those who are about to marry.

3-The campaign “And treat them with kindness”: Al-Azhar launched this media campaign, which includes a group of short videos that are published on social networking sites to shed light on the most important causes of divorce and methods of treatment in an effort to reduce this phenomenon.

Fourth: Recommendations and Suggestions

1-Including materials concerned with family culture and the rights and duties of each party, in proportion to each stage of study.

2-Organizing courses or mentoring programs for married life for those who are about to get married and making them mandatory, and success in them is one of the conditions for completing the marriage.

3-Activating the role of civil society organizations in raising families’ awareness of the dangers of divorce and its negative effects on children and society, and instilling the values ​​of responsibility among individuals.

4-Expanding the establishment of psychological and social clinics to assess and follow up on those who are about to marry, especially In case of disagreements.