Divorce Cases Increase by 53%, Mostly Due to Quarrels

Divorce cases in Indonesia have surged again. According to Statistics Indonesia, the number of divorce cases in the country reached 447,743 in 2021, a 53.50% increase compared to 2020, which recorded 291,677 cases.

This report shows that wives filed for divorce more often than husbands. A total of 337,343 cases, or 75.34% of divorces, were initiated by wives ("cerai gugat") and finalized by the court.

Meanwhile, 110,440 cases, or 24.66% of divorces, were initiated by husbands ("cerai talak") and finalized by the court.

Based on province, the highest number of divorce cases in 2021 was in West Java, with 98,088 cases. This was followed by East Java and Central Java, with 88,235 and 75,509 cases respectively.

Constant disagreements and quarrels were the leading cause of divorce in 2021, accounting for 279,205 cases.

Other divorce cases stemmed from economic reasons, desertion by one spouse, domestic violence, and polygamy.

The trend of divorce cases in Indonesia over the past five years has been fluctuating. The highest number of divorces occurred in 2021, while the lowest was in 2020. However, divorce cases had been steadily increasing from 2017 to 2019.