"I Will Live My Own Life Now"... Even Couples Married for 30 Years Are Getting Divorced

Divorces Decline Overall, but Rise Among Those Aged 60 and Older

13,743 Cases Last Year... Up by 943 from the Previous Year

While the total number of divorces is declining, divorces among couples aged 60 and older are on the rise.

According to the National Data and Statistics Portal (KOSIS) of the Ministry of Data and Statistics on May 14, the number of divorces last year was 88,130. This is a decrease of 3.3% (3,021 cases) from the previous year, marking the lowest level in 29 years since 1996, when there were 79,895 cases. The number of divorces has declined for six consecutive years.

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However, divorces among older couples are increasing. Divorces in which both the husband and wife were aged 60 or older reached 13,743 last year. This is an increase of 943 cases compared to the previous year and represents the highest number recorded since statistics have been compiled in 1990.

Divorces among those aged 60 and older accounted for 15.6% of all divorces. The proportion of divorces among those aged 60 and older decreased from 13.4% in 2022 to 13.0% in 2023, but then increased to 14.0% in 2024 and 15.6% in 2025.

The average age at divorce was 51.0 years for men and 47.7 years for women, both rising by 0.6 years compared to the previous year. For men, the divorce rate was highest among those in their late 40s, with 7.0 divorces per 1,000 people. This was followed by those aged 60 and older (20,000 cases, 23.1%), early 50s (14,000 cases, 15.9%), and late 40s (14,000 cases, 15.4%).

For women, the divorce rate was highest among those in their early 40s, with 7.7 divorces per 1,000 people. This was followed by those aged 60 and older (15,000 cases, 16.6%), early 40s (14,000 cases, 16.2%), and late 40s (14,000 cases, 15.6%).

When looking at the duration of marriage, divorces were more frequent among couples who had been married for a long time. The duration of marriage refers to the period of cohabitation from the actual start of married life until de facto divorce (separation), regardless of legal marital status.

Among divorced couples, those who had been married for "30 years or more" accounted for 17.7% of the total, the highest proportion ever recorded. This was followed by those married for 5-9 years (17.3%) and 4 years or less (16.3%).

The increase in so-called "twilight divorces" is attributed to a combination of factors: population aging, increased life expectancy, and the growing economic power of women. Changes in values among older adults are also cited as a reason. According to a survey conducted by the Korea Legal Aid Center for Family Relations in March last year, women in their 60s and 70s cited domestic violence and unfair treatment by their husbands as the main reasons for divorce. In the past, there was a strong tendency to tolerate domestic violence as a problem to endure, but more recently, there has been a shift toward prioritizing individual well-being over staying in an unhappy marriage.

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