3106.0 - Demography News, Nov 2004  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 02/12/2004   
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Divorce in Australia

The first issue (2002) of the new electronic product Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3307.0.55.001) was released on 16 September, 2004.

Some of the findings include:

  • Divorce rates: the crude divorce rate (the number of divorces per 1,000 population) in 2002 was 2.7 per 1,000. This was a decrease on the 2001 rate of 2.9 per 1,000, and a slight increase on the rate in 1992 of 2.6 per 1,000.
  • Age-specific Divorce rates: In 2002 males aged 40-44 years and females aged 30-34 experienced the highest divorce rate (13.2 per 1000 and 13.7 per 1000 respectively). For males, the highest rate has previously been among those aged 35-39, while the female age-specific rate has remained relatively constant.
  • The median duration of marriage to both separation and divorce is increasing over time. The median duration of marriage to separation in 2002 was 8.6 years, up from 7.4 years in 1992. The median duration of marriage to divorce in 2002 was 12.0 years, up from 10.5 years in 1992.
  • The proportion of divorces involving dependent children under 18 years has shown a slight decline from 53% in 1992 to 51% in 2001 and 50% in 2002.

The 2003 issue of Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3307.0.55.001) is scheduled for release in February 2005.

For more information please contact Carole Nomarhas on (02) 6252 5873 or carole.nomarhas@abs.gov.au