Data from a Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) 2009 report show that 1,853 marriages ended in divorce last

year. This work out to a failure rate of 8.65 per every 100 marriages. The previous highest divorce rate was 8.2 in 2002. Information included in a 2007 STATIN report indicates that the divorce rate was 3.88 in 2000. The data also reveal that 7.52 marriages ended in divorce in 2008, an improvement over the 5.63 per 100 marriages in 2007. However, STATIN has said that the smaller number of divorces granted in 2007 compared with previous years does not represent an actual decline. In September 2006, the Matrimonial Causes Rules were amended to allow divorces to be heard in chambers. This resulted in a considerable backlog of divorce petitions. There has been some improvement in the clearing of the backlog since 2008, Statin said.
Of the 1,853 marriages that ended in divorce last year, the vast majority of them lasted fewer than 15 years. The data reveal that 555 of these relationships lasted 10-14 years, 483 of them lasted five to nine years and 120 lasted less than five years. For the marriages that ended badly during 2009, nearly 76 per cent of the men involved were under the age of 40 when they were married. In 91 per cent of the divorce cases last year, the women were under age 40 when they got married.

Marriages Registered and Divorce Absolutes Granted: 2004-2011

Year Marriages 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 21,670 25,937 23,181 20,250 22,152 21,412 20,489 20,403 Marriage Rate Divorce Rate per Divorces per 1000 pop. 100 Marriages 8.21 9.78 8.7 7.57 8.23 7.94 7.58 7.53 1,739 1,806 1,768 1,140 1,654 1,853 2,371 1,960 8.02 6.96 7.63 5.63 7.52 8.65 11.57 9.61

Source: Registrar Generals Department and Supreme Court Last Updated May 17, 2012