Egyptian Divorce Rates Rise to 25 Percent

Divorce rates in Egypt have risen to 25 divorces per 100 marriages, announced the Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine el-Qabbaj in Parliament on 5 November.

At a meeting with the House of Representatives’ Social Solidarity Committee, el-Qabbaj noted that these rates are highest among those aged 20 through 30.

According to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), the number of divorce cases in 2021 reached 254,777 in comparison to the 222,036 witnessed in 2020. This marks an initial increase of 14.7 percent; in comparison, marriage contracts only increased by half a percent in 2021.

In collaboration with Al-Azhar and the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Ministry of Social Solidarity has been working to reduce the number of divorces using initiatives such as Mawadda (roughly translated to: ‘Cordiality’) to raise awareness among you about the value and importance of marriage.