Bulgaria’s marriage, divorce rates fell in 2020 against background of Covid crisis
Bulgaria’s marriage and divorce rates in 2020 were the lowest in five years, according to figures posted on May 16 by European Union statistics agency Eurostat.
Bulgaria’s marriage rate in 2020 was 3.2 per 1000 people, down from 4.2 in 2019, the latter the highest rate in the years from 2016 to 2020.
The country’s divorce rate in 2020 was 1.3 per 1000 people, down from 1.6 in 2019 – which also was the highest rate in the years from 2016 to 2020.
Eurostat said that in 2020, about 1.4 million marriages and an estimated 0.7 million divorces took place in the EU, according to the most recent data available for all EU countries, down from 1.9 million marriages and 0.8 million divorces estimated in 2019.
“The unprecedented decrease in marriages can be somewhat attributed to the measures related to limiting the spread of Covid-19,” Eurostat said.
The agency said that since 1964, the marriage rate in the EU has declined from 8.0 per 1000 people in 1964 to 3.2 in 2020.
At the same time, the divorce rate has doubled, increasing from 0.8 per 1000 people in 1964 to 1.6 in 2020. The divorce rate has decreased in the past decade, from 1.9 per 1 000 people in 2010.
The EU member states with the highest number of marriages relative to the population were Hungary (6.9 marriages per 1000 people), Latvia (5.6) and Lithuania (5.5).
In contrast, the lowest marriage rates were about two marriages per 1000 inhabitants, which were reported in Italy (1.6), Portugal (1.8), Spain and Ireland (both 1.9).
The largest decreases in marriage rates in 2020 compared with 2019 were recorded in Malta (-3.1 marriages per 1000 people), Romania (-2.4) and Ireland (-2.2).
In 2020, among EU member states, the lowest number of divorces relative to the population was registered in Malta (0.5 divorces per 1000 people), followed by Slovenia (0.8).
By contrast, the highest divorce rates were recorded in Latvia, Lithuania and Denmark (all 2.7 divorces per 1000 people), Sweden (2.5) and Finland (2.4).
The largest decreases in divorce rates in 2020 compared with 2019 were recorded in Luxembourg (-0.8 divorces per 1 000 people), Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and Slovenia (all -0.4). The only country that recorded an increase was Denmark (+0.9), Eurostat said.
(Photo: bea29sm/sxc.hu)
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