Nigeria Among Countries With Highest Divorce Rates, Surpassing Several Nations Globally

Nigeria has been identified as one of the countries with the highest divorce rates, according to a recent report by Divorce.com, a U.S.-based website offering resources and support for those navigating divorce. The report, published in July, ranks Nigeria eleventh out of twenty-six countries with the highest divorce rates globally.

The study, which drew on data from 16 primary sources and surveyed respondents across the listed countries, highlights a significant trend: women in Nigeria, and across sub-Saharan Africa, are increasingly initiating divorces. This shift reflects changing gender dynamics, as more women in the region become financially independent and less reliant on their spouses.

Nigeria’s divorce rate stands at 2.9%, which translates to approximately 1.8 divorces per 1,000 people in 2023. This rate places Nigeria ahead of countries like Canada, India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Peru, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

In comparison, the Maldives tops the global list with a divorce rate of 5.52%, driven by a cultural shift where women, now more financially independent, face little to no stigma for divorcing. On the other end of the spectrum, India has the lowest divorce rate at just 0.01%, largely due to the high cultural value placed on marriage and the societal stigma surrounding divorce.

Countries with higher divorce rates than Nigeria include Cuba (2.9%), Finland (2.4%), Sweden (2.5%), Denmark (2.7%), and Ukraine (3.1%). Conversely, nations with lower rates than Nigeria include Malta (0.6%), Ireland (0.7%), Venezuela (0.7%), Uruguay (0.8%), Austria (1.6%), and Belgium (1.8%).

The report underscores the evolving social landscape in Nigeria, where financial independence among women is contributing to a rise in divorce rates, aligning the country with broader global trends observed in nations with reduced divorce stigma and growing economic empowerment for women.