A Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) annual report showed on Wednesday a decline in the number of marriage contracts and a rise in divorce certificates during 2017.
Marriage contracts recorded in 2017 912,606 contracts, compared with 938,526 contracts in 2016, with a decline of 2.8 percent.
The number of divorce certificates was 198,269 in 2017, compared to 192,097 in 2016 increased, with an increase of by 3.2 percent.
The number of marriages in urban areas decreased to 356,634 in 2017, accounting for 39.1 percent of the total contracts, compared with 370,411 contracts in 2016, with a decrease of 3.7 percent.
The number of marriage contracts in rural areas also fell to 555,972 contracts in 2017, representing 60.9 percent of the total contracts, compared to 568,115 contracts in 2016, with a decrease of 1.2 percent.
The highest marriage rate for males was recorded in the age group between 25 to 30 years old. The number of marriage contracts for this age group was 380,721 contracts representing 41.7 percent. The lowest rate of marriage was in the age group of 65 years old and higher with 8,999 contracts, representing only one percent of total marriages.
As for wives, the highest rate of marriage was recorded in the age group between 20 to 25 years old. The number of marriage contracts for this age group was 343,095 contracts representing 37.6 percent. The lowest rate of marriage was in the age group of 65 years or more, with 1,354 contracts representing 0.1 percent of the total contracts.
The highest marriage rate was recorded in Matrouh governorate, while the lowest marriage rate was in the Red Sea governorate.
As for divorce, the statistics showed an increase in the number of divorce certificates in urban areas to reach 108,224 in 2017, representing 54.6 percent of the total certificates, compared to 105,200 certificates in 2016, with an increase of 2.9 percent.
In rural areas, the number of divorce certificates reached 90,045 certificates in 2017 representing 45.4 percent of the total divorce certificates, compared to 86,879 in 2016, with an increase of 3.6 percent.
Divorce rates were highest in the age group from 30 to 35 years old, with 40,053 divorces equal to 20.2 percent of total divorces.
The lowest divorce rate was in the age group between 18 and 20 years old. The number of divorces recorded in this age group was 690, equal to 0.3 percent of the total divorces in 2017.
The highest divorce rate for females was recorded in the age group between 25 to 30 years old. The number of divorces in this category recorded 38,842 equal to 19.6 percent.
The lowest divorce rate for females was recorded in the age group of 65 years old and higher. The number of divorces in this category recorded 1,315, equal to 0.7 percent
The highest divorce rate in courts in 2017 was through khula with 7,199 khula verdicts, equal to 76.9 percent of the total divorce verdicts.
The lowest divorce rate at courts in 2017 was due to infidelity. Courts approved three divorces based on infedility in 2017, equal to 0.03 percent of the total divorce verdicts.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
