'Taiwan Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage: Over 26,000 Marriages Registered in 4 Years... Divorce Rates Also Rise'

Number of Divorced Couples Increases to 2,382 Pairs Divorced

After Taiwan became the first in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019, the number of same-sex marriages has surged.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the 30th, Taiwanese media such as United Daily News reported these statistics citing the '2024 Gender Image' released the previous day by Taiwan's Executive Yuan Gender Equality Office. The Gender Equality Office stated that from May 2019 to the end of last year, the cumulative number of same-sex marriages was 25,716, with 7,748 men and 17,968 women among them. There were 1,054 Taiwanese who married foreigners of the same sex, including 644 men and 410 women.

As the cumulative number of marriages increased, so did the number of divorces. United Daily News cited statistics from the Household Registration Office under the Ministry of the Interior, reporting that the number of divorces among same-sex couples rose from 110 pairs in 2019 to 781 pairs in 2023, totaling 2,382 divorces by last year.

Asia's first legally married same-sex couple born in Taiwan.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, Taiwan's highest court ruled in May 2017 that the marriage provisions in the Civil Code banning same-sex marriage were unconstitutional. It stated that if related laws were not amended or special laws enacted within two years, same-sex marriage registration would automatically be permitted. Following this, there was extensive debate in Taiwanese society on how to legislate the court's decision, but on May 17, 2019, a special law allowing same-sex marriage passed the Legislative Yuan. On May 22 of the same month, after President Tsai Ing-wen signed the special law, same-sex marriage was officially legalized.

Until then, Taiwanese people were prohibited from registering marriages with partners from countries such as China, Hong Kong, and Macau, where same-sex marriage is banned. However, in January last year, Taiwan allowed same-sex marriage registration with nationals from countries other than China. Additionally, on May 16 last year, the Legislative Yuan unanimously passed an amendment allowing same-sex couples to jointly adopt children.

After the legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan, Nepal became the second Asian country to allow same-sex marriage in November last year. Following that, Thailand also approved an amendment to the Civil Code permitting same-sex marriage starting November last year, and if the bill passes parliamentary votes and receives royal assent, Thailand will become the third Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.