The frequency of divorce generally declines after the fifth year of marriage. Of the couples who went their separate ways between 2018 and 2022, 58 had been married for more than 50 years.

Nearly half of the couples (48%) who filed for divorce had been married for a decade or less, according to data from Statistics SA. The highest number of couples called it quits after 5 years.

The year with the most divorces registered in the past four years was 2019 with a total of 23,710 cases. This is followed closely by 2022, with 20,196 divorce cases registered.

In 2022, more than 80% of divorces were from first-time marriages, with more wives than husbands filing the divorce. Less than 2% of people were divorcing after at least their third marriage.

Statistics SA collects this data through surveys conducted at divorce courts.