Census 2016:

Statistics on numbers of Separated and Divorced people in Ireland.

Not surprisingly, the numbers of divorced people in Ireland over the last five years, from 2011 to 2016, has increased from 87,770 in 2011 to 103,895 in 2016.  However, it does represent a lower increase than was recorded between 2006 to 2011.

There was only a marginal increase in those recorded as Separated – the figure stands at 118,178 separated people, compared to the number recorded in 2011 as 116194.

Here are the key facts as taken from #Census 2016.

Continued increase in numbers divorced

The number of divorced people in Ireland has increased from 87,770 in 2011 to 103,895 in 2016, an increase of 16,125 persons. This is less than the previous intercensal increase of 28,236 persons. In contrast, the number of people identifed as separated has levelled off and stood at 118,178, up marginally from 116,194 five years earlier. As divorce in Ireland generally requires a period of separation in the first instance (up to five years) the data no doubt reflects both a progression for people from separation to divorce, combined with new numbers joining the category of separation.


More women than men recorded as Separated.

As has been seen in previous census results, the figures for men and women differ, with consistently more women than men recorded in these categories. In 2016 there were 66,563 separated women compared with 51,615 separated men and 60,586 divorced women compared with 43,309 divorced men.

Guess what county has the highest rate of marraige breakdown

Cork City has the highest recorded number of Marriage breakdown.

The increase in the number of divorced people has resulted in a small increase in the marital breakdown rate from 9.7 per cent in 2011 to 10 per cent in 2016. This rate is calculated as the number of separated and divorced persons as a proportion of those who were ever married. When examined on a county basis the highest rates were in the cities, topped by Cork City with a rate of 11.9 per cent, while Galway County had the lowest rate (8.1%). This data is illustrated in Map 4.2 opposite at an electoral district level.




Remarriage following divorce

The data on re-marriage shows that the 2002 figure of 30,500 had more than doubled to 61,729 in April 2016. Here the number of men exceeds women with 34,583 men in the category compared with 27,146 women, partially explaining the lower number of divorced men compared with women.