Divorce Statistics in Australia (Latest ABS Data)
Updated 22 September 2026 · General information, not legal advice
Australia granted 49,158 divorces in 2025, up 4.1% from 47,216 in 2024, and the crude divorce rate rose to 2.2 divorces per 1,000 people aged 16 and over. These are the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) release Marriages and Divorces, Australia, 2025, published on 28 July 2026. The divorce data comes from the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and the Family Court of Western Australia and counts divorces granted under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth).
Behind each divorce order sit other legal questions: property, parenting and child support. If you are separating, the ranked list of family lawyers in Australia compares firms if you need advice.
Key divorce statistics for 2025
| Measure (2025) | Figure | Change from 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Divorces granted | 49,158 | Up 4.1% (from 47,216) |
| Crude divorce rate (per 1,000 people aged 16+) | 2.2 | Up from 2.1 |
| Median length of marriage to separation | 9.4 years | Up from 9.3 years |
| Median length of marriage to divorce | 13.4 years | Up from 13.2 years |
| Median age at divorce, men | 47.3 years | Up from 47.1 years |
| Median age at divorce, women | 44.4 years | Up from 44.1 years |
| Divorces involving children under 18 | 22,941 (46.7% of divorces) | Up from 22,176 |
| Children under 18 affected | 40,748 | Up from 40,408 |
| Joint applications | 24,763 | Up from 24,721 |
| Divorces including same-gender couples or another gender term | 930 (1.9% of divorces) | Up from 760 |
Source: ABS, Marriages and Divorces, Australia, 2025, Table 3.
What is the divorce rate in Australia?
The divorce rate in Australia was 2.2 divorces per 1,000 people aged 16 and over in 2025. This is a crude rate: the number of divorces granted in the year divided by the estimated resident population aged 16 and over at 30 June, per 1,000 people.
The ABS now calculates crude rates on the population aged 16 and over, to align with legal marriage ages. Earlier ABS publications used the whole population, so rates in older releases are not directly comparable.
The ABS does not publish a "percentage of marriages that end in divorce" figure in this release. Crude rates count divorces in one year against the population, not against the number of marriages that started in a given year.
Is the divorce rate going up or down?
The divorce rate rose slightly in 2025 but has fallen over the long term, from 3.3 per 1,000 in 2005 to 2.2 in 2025. The ABS series for the last 20 years is below.
| Year | Divorces granted | Crude divorce rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 52,399 | 3.3 |
| 2007 | 47,963 | 2.9 |
| 2009 | 49,448 | 2.9 |
| 2011 | 48,935 | 2.7 |
| 2013 | 47,638 | 2.6 |
| 2015 | 48,517 | 2.5 |
| 2017 | 49,032 | 2.5 |
| 2019 | 48,582 | 2.4 |
| 2020 | 49,510 | 2.4 |
| 2021 | 56,244 | 2.7 |
| 2022 | 49,241 | 2.4 |
| 2023 | 48,700 | 2.3 |
| 2024 | 47,216 | 2.1 |
| 2025 | 49,158 | 2.2 |
The 2021 spike needs care. The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia advised the ABS that the high number of divorces finalised in 2021 was partly due to administrative changes, which creates a break in the series.
The number of divorces has stayed between about 46,000 and 53,000 a year since 2005, apart from 2021. Because the adult population has grown over that time, a steady number of divorces produces a falling rate.
How many divorces are there in each state?
New South Wales granted the most divorces in 2025, with 14,724, followed by Victoria and Queensland.
| State or territory | Divorces 2024 | Divorces 2025 | Change | Share of 2025 total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 14,036 | 14,724 | +4.9% | 30.0% |
| Victoria | 11,529 | 12,364 | +7.2% | 25.2% |
| Queensland | 10,508 | 10,780 | +2.6% | 21.9% |
| Western Australia | 5,560 | 5,421 | −2.5% | 11.0% |
| South Australia | 3,147 | 3,208 | +1.9% | 6.5% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 1,220 | 1,298 | +6.4% | 2.6% |
| Tasmania | 918 | 1,046 | +13.9% | 2.1% |
| Northern Territory | 298 | 317 | +6.4% | 0.6% |
| Australia | 47,216 | 49,158 | +4.1% | 100% |
Source: ABS, Marriages and Divorces, Australia, 2025, Table 3. Change and share are calculated from the ABS counts.
The ABS counts divorces by the location of the court that granted the divorce, not where the couple lives, so state figures are not a precise measure of where divorcing couples live. Western Australia was the only state with fewer divorces in 2025 than in 2024.
How long do marriages last before divorce?
Marriages that ended in divorce in 2025 lasted a median of 9.4 years to separation and 13.4 years to the divorce order. Both measures have risen each year since 2021.
| Year | Median years, marriage to separation | Median years, marriage to divorce |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8.4 | 12.2 |
| 2022 | 8.9 | 12.8 |
| 2023 | 9.0 | 13.0 |
| 2024 | 9.3 | 13.2 |
| 2025 | 9.4 | 13.4 |
The gap of about 4 years between separation and divorce reflects, in part, the legal requirement that a couple be separated for at least 12 months before a divorce order is made, under section 48 of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth). Many couples wait longer than that minimum.
At what age do Australians divorce?
The median age at divorce in 2025 was 47.3 years for men and 44.4 years for women. The median age at separation was 43.3 years for men and 40.5 years for women.
Age-specific divorce rates rose in 2025 for men aged 40 to 44 and older, and for women aged 35 to 39 and older. They fell slightly for both sexes aged 25 to 29 and 30 to 34.
| Age group | Men divorcing, 2025 | Women divorcing, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 16–24 | 170 | 458 |
| 25–29 | 1,920 | 3,032 |
| 30–34 | 4,667 | 5,985 |
| 35–39 | 6,651 | 7,810 |
| 40–44 | 7,579 | 8,218 |
| 45–49 | 6,991 | 7,220 |
| 50–54 | 6,961 | 6,439 |
| 55–59 | 5,260 | 4,485 |
| 60–64 | 3,708 | 2,781 |
| 65 and over | 4,728 | 2,746 |
The 40 to 44 age group had the most divorces for both men and women in 2025.
Who applies for divorce: husbands, wives or both?
Joint applications made up about half of all divorces in 2025: 24,763 of 49,158, or 50.4%. Of sole applications, 12,464 were filed by women (25.4% of all divorces) and 11,898 by men (24.2%). A further 15 applicants identified by another term.
A joint application is filed by both spouses together, while a sole application is filed by one spouse. For the court fees that apply to each, see How much does a divorce cost in Australia?
How many divorces involve children?
In 2025, 22,941 divorces involved children under 18, which is 46.7% of all divorces. Those divorces involved 40,748 children. The share has stayed between 46.7% and 47.9% each year since 2021.
For separating parents, the divorce order does not settle where children live. That is dealt with separately through parenting orders in Australia and, for financial support, child support in Australia.
How do divorce numbers compare with marriages?
Australia registered 118,804 marriages in 2025, 1.7% fewer than the 120,844 in 2024, and the crude marriage rate fell from 5.5 to 5.3 per 1,000 people aged 16 and over. That is roughly 2.4 marriages registered for every divorce granted in 2025.
This ratio compares two different groups of couples in one year, so it is not a measure of the chance that a marriage will end in divorce.
Editor's picks
Chosen by our editors from verified facts and always labelled. Shown separately from the data-ranked list. How we rank law firms
Family Lawyer Associates
Dedicated family law practice covering separation, property, parenting and international matters nationally.
Melbourne VIC
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Pearce Webster Dugdales
Established Melbourne firm with Law Institute of Victoria accredited specialists across family, property and commercial law.
Southbank VICGeelong VIC
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Doyle's Family Law & Mediation
Family law firm offering both mediation and litigation for property, parenting and divorce matters.
Hawthorn VICLorne VIC (by appointment)
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AM Legal
Long-established South Australian practice combining family, estate and commercial law with notary services.
Aldinga SA
View firm profileGetting legal help with a divorce
The statistics show that most divorces come with property, parenting and support decisions. Our guide on how to get a divorce in Australia covers the application itself, and our guide to property settlement after separation explains the 12-month deadline for property claims after a divorce takes effect. To compare firms, see the ranked list of family lawyers in Australia, or go to family lawyers in Sydney, family lawyers in Melbourne and family lawyers in Brisbane, the three cities in the states with the most divorces.
Frequently asked questions
What is the divorce rate in Australia in 2025?
The crude divorce rate in 2025 was 2.2 divorces per 1,000 people aged 16 and over, up from 2.1 in 2024, according to the ABS Marriages and Divorces, Australia, 2025 release.
How long do marriages last before divorce in Australia?
In 2025 the median time from marriage to separation was 9.4 years, and the median time from marriage to divorce was 13.4 years, according to the ABS.
Is the divorce rate in Australia going up or down?
It rose slightly in 2025, from 2.1 to 2.2 per 1,000 people, but the long-term trend is down. The ABS series shows a rate of 3.3 in 2005.
Which state has the most divorces?
New South Wales, with 14,724 divorces granted in 2025. The ABS counts divorces by the location of the court that granted them, not where the couple lives.
When is the next ABS divorce data released?
The ABS publishes Marriages and Divorces, Australia once a year. As at September 2026, the ABS website listed the date of the next release as unknown.