Record increase in divorce cases in China

Women demand divorce in 70 % of cases

Beijing, China – There has been a record increase in divorce cases in China. Women have demanded divorce in 70 % of the total divorce cases. Sociologists have expressed the  opinion that the main reasons behind the increasing trend of divorce are the economic independence of women and the increase in social acceptance.

1. Modern women living in cities are now choosing divorce as an option to get out of relationships instead of living under social pressure.

2. According to a statistic in this regard, more than 2.7 million divorces were registered in the year 2025, which is 28 % more than that in the year 2021.

3. There has been a historic decline in the marriage rate in China since 1980. Staying single is becoming a symbol of prestige. The economic recession and changes in family structure have further accelerated this trend.

4. This change indicates that the traditional family system is coming to an end in Chinese society. Now, Chinese women are looking at divorce as a new social right to maintain their own identity and self-respect.

5. The Chinese Government implemented a new rule in 2021, a 30-day ‘cooling-off period’. That is, they set a mandatory 30-day reflection period before the divorce was registered. This initially reduced the divorce rate, but then it increased again.

6. Advocate Gui Fangfang, handling cases about family law in Shanghai, says, ‘In the past, women often cited major abuses, such as domestic violence, extramarital affairs or gambling habits. Now, women are asking for a divorce because the quality of the marriage was not satisfactory, or their values ​​did not match.’