Marriages & Divorces in South Africa 2024
This report summarises the key findings from Statistics South Africa’s (Stats SA) official statistical release on Marriages and Divorces for the 2024 calendar year. The release draws on administrative data from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for marriage registrations, and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD) together with the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) for divorce records.
For labour law practitioners, the data provides relevant context on household formation and dissolution, dependency relationships, maintenance obligations, and demographic patterns that may inform matters involving spousal and child maintenance, workplace benefit entitlements, and demographic profiling of clients.
Total registered marriages and unions have declined significantly over the decade. The 2024 figure of 102,373 represents a decrease of 40,906 (28.5%) from the 143,279 recorded in 2015. The crude marriage rate fell from 2.6 per 1,000 population in 2015 to 1.6 per 1,000 in 2024.
- 2020: The lowest point (92,394 registrations) due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on gatherings and venue closures.
- 2021–2022: A post-pandemic recovery with an annual increase of 6.5%.
- 2022–2024: Renewed decline at an average annual rate of 4.6%.
| Marriage Type | Number | % of Total | Change vs 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Marriages | 97,510 | 95.2% | ↓ 1.8% |
| Customary Marriages | 2,634 | 2.6% | ↓ 25.5% |
| Civil Unions (Same-Sex) | 2,229 | 2.2% | ↓ 3.0% |
| TOTAL | 102,373 | 100% | ↓ 2.6% |
Marital Status at Time of Marriage
- 79.4% of bridegrooms (77,463) were first-time spouses
- 84.5% of brides (82,431) were first-time spouses
- 4.3% of bridegrooms were divorcees remarrying
- 2.9% of brides were divorcees remarrying
- Widowers: 0.5% | Widows: 0.3%
Median Age at Marriage (2024)
- Bridegrooms overall: 39 years | Brides: 35 years
- Never-married men: 36 years | Women: 33 years
- Male divorcees remarrying: 60 years | Female: 53 years
- Widowers remarrying: 62 years | Widows: 34 years
Notable finding: The median age gap between remarrying widowers (62 years) and widows (34 years) is 28 years — the largest age gap of any spousal category. This has practical implications for pension fund nominations, life insurance dependencies, and benefit disputes.
Age difference patterns: 75.0% of all bridegrooms were older than their brides; 16.2% were younger; 8.8% were the same age. Divorcee men showed the strongest preference for younger partners — 93.2% of divorcé men marrying never-married women were older than their brides.
| Province | Marriages | % of Total | Dominant Solemnisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gauteng | 23,509 | 24.1% | DHA (56.3%) |
| Western Cape | 22,382 | 23.0% | Religious (52.3%) |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 16,991 | 17.4% | DHA (67.4%) |
| Eastern Cape | 8,481 | 8.7% | DHA (55.0%) |
| Limpopo | 6,077 | 6.2% | DHA (84.3%) |
| Mpumalanga (lowest) | 3,080 | 3.2% | Unspecified (46.7%) |
A total of 2,634 customary marriages were registered in 2024 — a significant decline of 25.5% from 3,537 in 2023. Limpopo (718, or 27.3%) and KwaZulu-Natal (704, or 26.7%) accounted for over half of all registrations. The median age of bridegrooms was 35 years; brides were 29 years. Child marriages (under 18) were more prevalent among brides (6.1%) than bridegrooms (0.5%).
Civil unions have grown from 1,185 in 2015 to 2,229 in 2024 — an 88% increase over the decade, with a slight dip of 3.0% in 2024. Gauteng (943, or 42.3%) and Western Cape (751, or 33.7%) account for 76% of all registered civil unions. Limpopo recorded the fewest (21, or 0.9%). Median age of spouses-1: 35 years; spouses-2: 34 years.
In 2024, Stats SA received and processed 24,202 divorce forms — an increase of 1,972 cases (8.9%) from 22,230 in 2023. This continues a recovery trend after COVID-19 suppressed divorces to 16,097 in 2020. The crude divorce rate was 39 divorces per 100,000 resident population.
| Population Group | Number | % of Total | Crude Rate (per 100,000) | % with Children <18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black African | 13,284 | 54.9% | 26 | 61.2% |
| White | 5,008 | 20.7% | 110 | 42.8% |
| Coloured | 3,363 | 13.9% | 64 | 58.0% |
| Indian/Asian | 990 | 4.1% | 60 | 49.9% |
| Mixed (Interracial) | 716 | 3.0% | — | 51.3% |
The white population group had the highest crude divorce rate at 110 per 100,000 — more than four times that of the black African population (26 per 100,000).
A consistent and significant finding is that wives are far more likely to initiate divorce proceedings than husbands across all population groups:
By population group, the proportion of wife-initiated divorces ranged from 54.9% (Black African) to 61.0% (Coloured). Among Black African divorcees, jointly-initiated divorces were highest at 5.9%.
| Province | Total Divorces | Wife-initiated | Husband-initiated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gauteng | 7,256 (30.0%) | 59.1% | 31.8% |
| Western Cape | 4,259 (17.6%) | 60.6% | 33.2% |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 3,344 (13.8%) | 57.1% | 31.7% |
| Limpopo | 2,016 (8.3%) | 52.2% | 37.3% |
| Eastern Cape | 2,111 (8.7%) | 53.4% | 30.0% |
| Free State | 1,836 (7.6%) | 55.7% | 36.6% |
| North West | 1,567 (6.5%) | 58.1% | 32.7% |
| Mpumalanga | 1,472 (6.1%) | 53.1% | 34.0% |
| Northern Cape | 341 (1.4%) | 53.1% | 35.8% |
Gauteng, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal collectively accounted for 61.4% of all divorces granted in 2024, consistent with their larger populations.
The median age at divorce was 46 years for males and 42 years for females — a consistent 4-year gap. Notable patterns by population group:
- Black African males: highest median age of 47 years (vs. 42 for females — 5-year gap)
- Coloured & Indian/Asian males: median age of 44 years each
- White males: 46 years | White females: 43 years
Peak age groups at divorce (highest proportion):
| Population Group | Peak Age — Males | Peak Age — Females |
|---|---|---|
| Black African | 40–44 years (20.5%) | 40–44 years (22.6%) |
| Coloured | 40–44 years (19.3%) | 35–39 years (20.0%) |
| Indian/Asian | 45–49 years (17.1%) | 40–44 years (17.6%) |
| White | 45–49 years (15.1%) | 40–44 years (15.8%) |
The majority of divorces occur in the earlier years of marriage:
| Duration | Number | % of Total | Black African | Coloured | White |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 5 years | 3,650 | 15.1% | 14.4% | 15.4% | 16.9% |
| 5–9 years (peak) | 6,451 | 26.7% | 28.5% | 25.5% | 24.3% |
| 10–14 years | 5,167 | 21.3% | 23.1% | 20.0% | 18.4% |
| 15–19 years | 3,391 | 14.0% | 14.4% | 14.1% | 12.7% |
| 20+ years | 4,483 | 18.5% | 13.5% | 18.3% | 23.3% |
41.7% of all divorces (10,101 cases) were from marriages that lasted less than 10 years. The Indian/Asian population group had relatively higher proportions of divorces at longer durations (20–24 years: 10.8%; 25–29 years: 9.0%).
- First marriage: 87.7% of husbands (21,219) and 89.1% of wives (21,567)
- Second marriage: 8.6% of husbands (2,082) and 6.8% of wives (1,638)
- Three or more marriages: under 1% for both sexes
| Occupation Category | Husbands | % (H) | Wives | % (W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, semi-professional & technical | 3,874 | 16.0% | 3,934 | 16.3% |
| Managers and administrators | 2,038 | 8.4% | 2,044 | 8.4% |
| Service occupations | 3,185 | 13.2% | 2,302 | 9.5% |
| Clerical and sales | 992 | 4.1% | 1,922 | 7.9% |
| Not economically active / Unemployed | 3,403 | 14.1% | 4,485 | 18.5% |
| Artisans & related | 1,039 | 4.3% | 207 | 0.9% |
| Transport & communications | 718 | 3.0% | 87 | 0.4% |
| Unspecified | 8,063 | 33.3% | 8,913 | 36.8% |
Of the 24,202 divorces granted in 2024, 13,490 (55.7%) involved children under the age of 18. In total, 22,916 children were affected.
| Population Group | Divorces with Children | % with Children | Children Affected | % of Children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black African | 8,136 | 61.2% | 14,100 | 61.5% |
| Coloured | 1,952 | 58.0% | 3,355 | 14.6% |
| White | 2,143 | 42.8% | 3,436 | 15.0% |
| Indian/Asian | 494 | 49.9% | 734 | 3.2% |
| Mixed / Other / Unspecified | 765 | ~49% | 1,291 | 5.6% |
| TOTAL | 13,490 | 55.7% | 22,916 | 100% |
The white population group had the highest proportion of divorces without children (57.2%), while black African and coloured groups had the highest proportions with children (61.2% and 58.0% respectively).
- The high prevalence of minor children in divorce proceedings (55.7% of all divorces) underscores the ongoing importance of child maintenance orders. Practitioners should note that 22,916 children were affected nationally in 2024 alone.
- The significant age gap between divorcing males and females (46 vs. 42 years median) suggests that spousal maintenance claims frequently involve women of still-active working age, with implications for employment continuity and benefit structures.
- The 28-year median age gap between remarrying widowers (62) and widows (34) has practical implications for life insurance, pension fund nominations, and dependency benefit disputes.
- The largest specified occupation category for both husbands and wives at time of divorce was professional, semi-professional and technical (approximately 16%), suggesting that divorce cases frequently involve clients in formal employment.
- 18.5% of wives were not economically active or unemployed at time of divorce, compared to 14.1% of husbands — a factor relevant to maintenance quantum assessments and post-divorce earning capacity arguments.
- A significant proportion of occupations were unspecified (33–37%), indicating room for practitioners to gather more complete financial disclosure during proceedings.
- Gauteng, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal account for 61.4% of all divorces — practitioners in these provinces can expect the highest caseloads.
- Limpopo and Mpumalanga have lower volumes but comparatively high proportions of DHA-solemnised marriages, relevant to the evidentiary requirements in dissolution proceedings.
- The declining marriage rate (down 28.5% over a decade) suggests an increasing proportion of the workforce may be in non-registered partnerships. This has implications for common-law partner benefit eligibility under medical aid schemes, pension fund dependency rules, and next-of-kin designations.
- The growing number of civil unions (up from 1,185 in 2015 to 2,229 in 2024 — an 88% increase) should be reflected in workplace benefit policies to ensure compliance with the Civil Union Act, 2006.
- Stats SA notes that not all 2024 divorces had reached the department at time of publication. Divorce figures are provisional and subject to upward revision. Practitioners relying on this data for statistical arguments should note this caveat.
- Customary marriages are significantly underregistered — only 2,634 formally registered in 2024. Muslim marriages, while now legally recognised, are not yet fully captured in this dataset. This may affect the evidentiary record in dissolution or maintenance proceedings involving unregistered customary unions.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Civil Marriage | A marriage registered under the Marriage Act, 1961 (Act No. 25 of 1961), solemnised by a licensed DHA or religious marriage officer. |
| Customary Marriage | A marriage negotiated, celebrated or concluded according to indigenous African customary law, governed by the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, 1998. |
| Civil Union | The voluntary union of two persons (18+) under the Civil Union Act, 2006, accommodating same-sex couples legally recognised by state authorities. |
| Crude Marriage Rate | Number of marriages registered in a given year per 1,000 estimated resident population. |
| Crude Divorce Rate | Number of divorces granted in a given year per 100,000 estimated resident population. |
| Plaintiff | The spouse who filed / initiated the divorce proceedings. |
| Mixed Population Group | Couples comprising individuals from different population groups (interracial marriages). |
