The number of marriages in South Africa is falling while divorces are rising, according to the latest release from Statistics South Africa, pointing to a steady shift in how households are formed and sustained.

A total of 102 373 marriages were registered in 2024, down from 105 123 in 2023. The longer trend is more striking. Since 2015, marriage registrations have fallen by 40 906, a decline of 28.5%.

At the same time, divorces are moving in the opposite direction. Courts granted 24 202 divorces in 2024, up from 22 230 the year before, an increase of 8.9%.

Women account for the majority of divorce filings. In 2024, there were 13 853 divorces initiated by women, representing 57.2% of all cases, compared to 7 976 filed by men, at 33.0%. The remainder of divorces were either jointly filed by both parties or one where the person who initiated the divorce being unspecified.

The fabled "seven-year itch" may also be more than a myth with the highest proportion of divorces occurring between couples who had been married for between five-to-nine-years. There were 6 451 cases of divorce between couples in this range or 26.7% of total divorces in 2024.

The median age at divorce was 46 for men and 42 for women.

Civil marriages continue to dominate, with 97 510 recorded in 2024, compared to 2 634 customary marriages (marriages recognised under African customary law and Muslim marriages), and 2 229 civil unions (marriages between same-sex partners). All categories declined year-on-year, with civil marriages dropped by 1.8%, while civil unions decreased by 3.0% and customary marriages showing the sharpest drop at 25.5%.

As previously reported by The Common Sense, this trend carries consequences that extend well beyond private life. Marriage functions as a core stabilising institution, shaping outcomes across households, communities, and the broader economy. Stable two-parent households are consistently associated with better child development, stronger educational outcomes, and with children from those households less likely to engage in risky behaviour.