Central Java Has the Highest Divorce Rate in Indonesia

Central Java is a province highly susceptible to divorce. In 2019, it had the highest national divorce rate, with 88.9 divorces per 10,000 people. This means that for every 10,000 households in the province, there were 89 divorce cases.

This was followed by East Java (86.7), Gorontalo (84.6), East Kalimantan (84.3), West Java (74.3), South Sulawesi (73.5), South Kalimantan (69.3), West Sumatra (67), North Kalimantan (65.7), and Bengkulu (65.6).

The divorce rate in these ten provinces exceeded the national average of 51.3. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), the number of divorces in Indonesia in 2019 reached 439,000 cases.

Based on data from the Directorate General of Religious Court Administration of the Supreme Court, there are eight main causes of divorce in the country: quarrels (46.6%); economic problems (28.2%); desertion (18.2%); domestic violence (2.1%); intoxication, drug abuse, gambling, and adultery (2.1%); polygamy (0.3%); forced marriage (0.2%); and other causes (2.2%).

(Read More: Disputes and Economics, the Main Factors of Divorce)

To reduce the divorce rate, the Ministry of Religious Affairs is strengthening the Marriage Guidance Program (Bimwin) and the Pusaka Sakinah program. The Ministry acknowledges that the Bimwin program currently only targets 7%-10% of prospective couples out of approximately 2 million marriages per year.

The Ministry hopes to increase the program's target to around 40% of prospective couples. Meanwhile, the goal of the Pusaka Sakinah program is to achieve the transformation of the KUA (Religious Courts) into centers for sakinah (harmonious) family services with optimal capacity as public service units that implement good governance.

For more complete data, please click this link.