DIVORCES
A large number of divorces granted in the ACT are to people usually resident in another state, and therefore numbers shown for the ACT are not representative of divorce in the ACT population.
There were 1,582 divorces registered in the ACT in 2005, down 0.8% from the number registered in 2004 (1,595).
Age at divorce
The median age at divorce has continued to increase in the ACT, as it has Australia-wide. In 2005, the median age at divorce increased to 43.7 years for men and 41.3 years for women, an increase of 3.8 and 4 years, respectively, from 1995.
Nationally in 2005, the median age at divorce was 43.5 years for men and 40.8 years for women. This is an increase of 3.6 years for males and 3.7 years for females since 1995.
Median duration of marriage to divorce
For couples divorcing in the ACT in 2005, the median duration of marriage to divorce was 13.2 years, compared with a national median duration of 12.6 years. The median duration of marriage to separation was also higher in the ACT ( 9.5 years) than nationally (8.8 years).
Application for divorce
In 2005 36.7% of all divorces applied for in the ACT were initiated by wives, while husbands accounted for 30.4%. Nationally, 30.6% of applications for a divorce were made by husbands and 40.8% by wives. Joint applications accounted for 32.8% of ACT divorces in 2005, compared with 28.5% nationally.
5.12 Summary, Marriages and divorces statistics - 2000-2005 |
|  |
| | | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | |
Marriages | |
| |
| Marriages registered | | | | | | | | |
| ACT | no. | 1 735 | 1 572 | 1 583 | 1 558 | 1 719 | 1 655 | |
| Aust. | no. | 113 429 | 103 130 | 105 435 | 106 394 | 110 958 | 109 323 | |
| Crude marriage rate(a) | | | | | | | | |
| ACT | rate | 5.5 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 5.1 | |
| Aust. | rate | 5.9 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.4 | |
| Previous marriage status, ACT | | | | | | | | |
| First marriage both partners | no. | 1 172 | 1 060 | 1 060 | 1 037 | 1 166 | 1 139 | |
| First marriage one partner | no. | 313 | 278 | 282 | 296 | 308 | 307 | |
| Remarriage both partners | no. | 250 | 234 | 241 | 225 | 245 | 209 | |
| Proportion of marriages performed by ministers of religion | | | | | | | | |
| ACT | % | 48.5 | 48.6 | 46.1 | 46.3 | 42.9 | 41.3 | |
| Aust. | % | 47.2 | 46.9 | 45.0 | 43.4 | 41.3 | 40.4 | |
| Proportion of marriages performed by civil celebrants | | | | | | | | |
| ACT | % | 51.5 | 51.4 | 53.9 | 53.7 | 57.1 | 58.7 | |
| Aust. | % | 52.8 | 53.1 | 55.0 | 56.6 | 58.7 | 59.6 | |
Divorces | |
| |
| Divorces granted | | | | | | | | |
| ACT(b) | no. | 1 561 | 1 684 | 1 577 | 1 652 | 1 595 | 1 582 | |
| Aust. | no. | 49 906 | 55 330 | 54 004 | 53 145 | 52 747 | 52 399 | |
| Median duration of marriage | | | | | | | | |
| ACT(b) | years | 12.3 | 12.3 | 13.0 | 12.8 | 13.1 | 13.2 | |
| Aust. | years | 11.6 | 11.8 | 12.0 | 12.2 | 12.3 | 12.6 | |
| Proportion of divorces involving children(c) | | | | | | | | |
| ACT(b) | % | 58.0 | 53.1 | 51.9 | 54.0 | 45.6 | 52.2 | |
| Aust. | % | 52.7 | 51.2 | 49.7 | 50.1 | 49.8 | 49.8 | |
| |
| (a) Rate per 1,000 estimated resident population aged 15 years and over, at 30 June. |
| (b) Due to the large number of divorces granted in the ACT to persons usually resident in another state or territory, the numbers shown for the ACT are not representitive of divorce in the ACT population. |
| (c) Unmarried children of the marriage, aged under 18 years. |
| Australian Historical Population Statistics, 2006 (cat. no. 3105.0.65.001); Marriages, Australia, 2005 (cat. no. 3306.0.55.001); Divorces, Australia, 2005 (cat. no. 3307.0.55.001). |
