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Meaningful recent Russian divorce statistic? (Divorce and marriage rates in Russia)
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Posted by: Khashyar

Hello everyone...

When I first read this mini-article about a recently released Russian divorce statistic, I was surprised and a little shocked...

What do you guys make of it??? What kind of reflection (if any) is it on the state of marriage in Russia??

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From: "Khashyar"
Date: Tue Dec 3, 2002 7:55 pm
Subject: Alarming recent Russia divorce statistic

Hello Everyone...

Here is another statistic about divorce in Russia...

It seems that in the first three months of 2002, that there were
MORE divorces than marriages in Russia. (Read the statistics
below...)

I believe that this means that for the first three months in 2002,
that the divorce rate in Russia is OVER 100% (this means that there were more divroces than marriages in Russia for during those three months)....

Also keep in mind that it was only in 1996, that the divorce rate
was "only" 43%

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RUSSIA DIVORCE:
Committee reports marriage statistics

Monday, May 27, 2002

Moscow, Russia, May 27, 2002 (RosBusinessConsulting via COMTEX) --
The number of divorces increased 38.2 percent in Russia in the first quarter of 2002 versus the corresponding period last year and reached 224,300 (as compared to 186,100 in the first quarter of 2001). The number of marriages went up 12.5 percent, from 192,200 in the first quarter of 2001 to 204,700 in the corresponding period this year, the State Statistics Committee reported. This means that the number of divorces surpassed the number of marriages by 19,600 from January to March this year. In the first quarter of 2001, the number of marriages was 6,100 more than that of divorces.

-- From Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education on-line newsletter

Posted by: Vyesna

I don't think that means the divorce rate was 100%-- just that in that particular quarter there were more divorces than marriages. The divorce rate looks at the number of marriages ending in divorce-- ie, the lifetime of the marriage itself. A completely different statistic.

And the whole picture painted of Russian marital misery is a bit exaggerated. The main problem has been the people get married to young and end up living with someone's parents in tight space, which, excuse me, would drive anyone nuts. If that started happening here I think our divorce rate would be twice as high as the Russians. Right now I think the divorce rate is about the same there and here. My husband's parents have been married for more than 35 years and we also know long-married couples over there who are not about to kill each other, the man is not an alcoholic and both parents contribute to household income and household chores.

Now people are starting to get married later-- 24 or 25 -- and I think the trend will increase as the social pressure to get married at the age of 19 or 20 abates (it's still there, but decreasing somewhat since you don't have to get married now to put yourself on a list for an apartment). Personally, I don't think most people in the world, men and women, are ready to get married much before the age of 25. However, if they do and manage not to make a mess of it, then that's great. But I don't think that many girls who think they're ready to get married at 21 really are-- I got married at 23, and I know from experience that I would have been more ready at 25 or 26 and from observing friends both here and there, I think the same is true of them (both men and women).

Posted by: Khashyar

Hi Vyesna.....

It does make sense what you are saying that the living conditions in Russia (needing to live with in-laws in small living spaces) would be a great stress on a marriage.... I actually had read that somewhere else as well...

From my understanding, a "divorce rate," even the divorce rates published regarding the U.S. (I think from 40% to 50% is the current number) is calculated by comparing the number of current marriages by current divorces (in one calendar year)... If someone knows for certain that this is not true, then please let me know).... But, my understanding from reading the different webpages on marriage and divorce statistics is that the divorce rate is calculated by comparing the divorces and marriages in a given year....

Perhaps, as you had written, Russians are tending to get married later in life (and therefore decreasing the number of current marriages), and because Russians only in the last 10 years or so was it socially permitted to divorce in Russia, that there are many people who were in unhappy marriages who are now exercising their options to divorce??

Thanks for sharing your perspective that you felt that you would have been better prepared to be married at 25, rather than 23......

It is interesting that my fiance Lena (who is now living with me in Los Angeles, and could perhaps write about this question in our forum) says that she is absolutely ready for marriage right now (because I am the right person for her...) I wonder if this is because she grew up in a Belarussian town of 450,000 rather than a big Russian metropolis???

Thanks for your interesting thoughts, Vyesna...

Khashyar

Posted by: fly4fun

Was interested in this topic and thought I'd share some links I found. I also might add that there is much disagreement over what the divorce rate actually says. While this is just a personal observation after going thru numerous sites, I'd have to say that the true divorce rate in Russia seems much higher than the US with the US actually declining while Russia is increasing.
I also found the last link, although simplistic, to be an interesting addition to thinking about why RW/AM marriages might actually have a very low divorce rate although most recognized sites all say there is no data to make that assumption..

http://www.divorcemag.com/statistics/statsWorld.shtml
http://www.sptimes.ru/archive/times...ews/n_14416.htm
http://www.divorcereform.org/real.html

Bob

Posted by: RobOhioGuy

Everything I have ever read about marriage and what the leading causes of divorce are can be summerized by a few things

#1 is financial problems
#2 infidelity
#3 Age and education

If you have financial struggles and you married very young and are poorly educated the chances of the marriage surviving is minimal at best.

The trend of getting married very young (esp in Ukraine) coupled with the poor economic outlook in the FSU make marriage an almost impossible propositon.