A statistical report about divorce and marriage rates
prepared by the Dubai Statistics Centre in collaboration in cooperation with
the Community Development Authority in Dubai and Dubai Courts revealed
that the divorce rates declined by 35% in
the last four years in Dubai between 2016 to 2019.
The report drew that attention that the divorce rate
for every 1,000 Emiratis declined from 3.76 in 2016 to 2.44 in 2019, including all
divorce cases where one or both of parties are Emiratis.
The report included all divorce and marriage cases
that were registered in Dubai Courts regardless of the area where the
population belongs, a matter that is intended to accurately measure the rates
based on the surrounding social and environmental factors.
The report was based on one of the most accurate
global factors in measuring divorce rates on the ground of measuring the
divorce rate for every one thousand of the population.
The report revealed a positive trend in the gradual
decline of the divorce rates during the last four years, where
it revealed that the net divorce rate among married couples declined from 11.95
in 2016 to 7.95 in 2019 by a percentage of 33.5%.
On the other hand, the report showed that the marriage
rate also dropped from 11.47 for each one thousand to 9.47 at the percentage of
17% whether one or both of parties are Emiratis.
Hariz Al-Murr Bin Hariz, the chief executive officer
of Development an Social Care Sector in the Social Development Authority, said
that there is a number of ways to calculate the marriage and divorce rates that
are based on different factors and differ in their uses, showing that the prevailing
trend in measuring these rates was based on the comparison between the annual
rates of marriage and divorce transactions, which measures difference between
them, a matter that does give a clear impression about the reality of divorce in relation to the
percentage of population and married population.
He added: “We worked over years to study the best
method to measure the divorce rates that gives us the closed results that can
be globally compared and can be bases of taking decisions related to supporting
the stability of families. We anticipate that the results concluded in this
report are the closest to accuracy especially as they deal with a variety of
statistical factors that are accredited by international institutions”.
He added; “we observe that the rates in Dubai are
compatible with the global average in this field based on which and on more in
depth studies, we could investigate the reasons and develop developmental plans
to enhance family stability and integrity and in turn develop awareness plans
to improve and increase the rate of marriage.”
Bin Hariz confirmed that the decline of marriage rate
by 17% is a matter that should be seriously considered because we are an
emerging country and we have a great percentage of youth at the age of
marriage. In the Social Development
Authority and in cooperation with partners, we are working on developing plans
to show the importance of the early marriage and support those who are going to
marry to reduce this percentage and push it forward to increase the rates.”