The Bahamas Marriage, Divorce,

And Live Births Statistics

Complied and analyzed by Barrington H. Brennen

Last updated August 21, 2022, 2023

 

Special note as of March 26, 2023:  Dear readers. especially students, I've done my best to make sure that the stats on this webpage is the most recent.  I will also do my best within the next six weeks, to once again verify my findings or update if there are more recent statistics. Divorce total information updated to 2019. Marriages totals update to 2017.  Breakdown of reasons for divorce not yet available. Source:  Judiciary Report & The Bahamas National Statistical Institute The statistics presented on this webpage are gleaned and analyzed by Barrington H. Brennen from the official statistics by The Bahamas  Department of Statistics and The Bahamas Judiciary Report, and are presented here for clearer understanding, insight and information.   Some of the information on this page would not be found on The Bahamas National Statistical Institute formerly the Department of Statistics

 

 

Barrington Brennen can be reached at 242-327-1980 or info@soencouragement.org

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Helpful Links

• PDF Document of the latest Vital Statistics Provisional Report September 14, 2017
  "Is Marriage on the Decline?" Written 2007,    
• Divorce and Marriage in the Bahamas  Written 2004 
• Population Size
• 2010 Census Report   
• Grounds for Divorce from Select Countries Around the world
  The latest Vital Statistics from the Department of Statistics - 2017

 

Grounds for Divorce in The Bahamas Bahamas Matrimonial Causes Act. Section 16   Grounds for divorce: In The Bahamas a husband or wife may petition for divorce on grounds of: 1.  Adultery 2.  Cruelty 3.  Desertion for two years (has deserted the petitioner for a continuous period of at least two years) 4.  Separation for five years (living separate and apart) 5.  Homosexuality & Bestiality.  (Since the celebration of the marriage been guilty of a homosexual act, sodomy or has had sexual relations with an animal) The wife may also do so on the ground that her husband has since the celebration of the marriage been guilty of rape.   To this date divorce cannot be granted on grounds of irreconcilable differences or no-fault divorce.   A petition for divorce may be filed any time after the marriage.  Three months after the Decree Nisi is granted. The divorce may become final and a Decree Absolute may be issued provided that, where appropriate, a Judge is satisfied with the arrangements made for the welfare of the children.   In special cases this period may be reduced to six weeks.   Marriages not consummated may be annulled.   Any couple, regardless of nationality, may obtain a divorce in The Bahamas if it can be establish that the husband is domiciled here.  If the husband is not domicile, the wife may petition if she can establish that: (1) She and her husband have lived three years of their married life here and that these years directly preceded commencement of the suit and (2) Her husband has deserted her and has gone aboard.   Number of Divorces in the Bahamas 1970 to Present Updated January 30, 2021
Year	Divorces Granted	Divorces Filed	Reasons for Divorce	Divorce Rate Per 1,000 Population
	Total include Decree Nisi and Absolute	This is total Applications or couples who applied to get divorced	A=Adultery C=Cruelty D=Desertion S=Separation H=Homosexuality B=Bestiality ________________________ AC=Adultery & Cruelty CD=Cruelty & Desertion AD=Adultery & Desertion
1968 to 1988			[ Added January 30, 2021]  Special note from the book The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Statistical Abstract 1968 to 1988 Special 20th Anniversary Edition.  Page 38: "A comparison of the marital status of the 1970 - 1980 shows that there was a marked decline in the percentage of married persons living together.   In 1970, 49% of the population were legally married, but by 1980 the percentage had decreased to 36%.  This can be compared with an increase in the percentage of persons in a 'common law' union which increased from 5% in 1970 to 8% in 1980. The-corresponding marr1age rates are 10 per thousand in 1970 to 6.6 per thousand in 1980."
1970	NA
1975	99			0.5
1980	136			0.6
1990	368	557		1.4
1999	?	408	A=76 / C=143 / D=69 / S=119
2000	389	592	A=66 / C=131 / D=79 / S=113	1.7
2001	461	577	A=67 / C=173 / D=87 / S=128	1.5
2002	438	556	A=58 / C=177 / D=59 / S=129	1.4
2003	324	653	Breakdown not available	1.3
2004	647	?	Breakdown not available	2.0
2005	538	660	A=53 / C=214 / D=103 / S=140 / AD=16 / CD=7	2.1
2006	326	716	A=75 / C=340 / D=135 / S=164	2.1
2007	266	665	A=83 / C=284 / D=81 / S=145	2.1
2008	191	695	A=64 / C=341 / D=116 / S=168	2.0
2009	65	603	A=85 / C=300 / D=84 / S=121	1.8
2010	399	584	Breakdown not available yet	1.8
2011	30	570	Breakdown not available yet	Not Available
2012	187	564	Breakdown not available yet	Not Available
2013	207	563	Breakdown not available yet	Not Available
2014	197	607	Breakdown not available yet	Not Available
2015	180	634	Breakdown not available yet	Not Available
2016	117	608	Breakdown not available yet	Not Available
2017	129	610	Breakdown not available yet	Not Available
2018	459	750	Breakdown not available yet	Not Available
2019	330	639	Breakdown not available yet	Not Available
2020
2021
*Provisional
Number of Marriages - Statistics In The Bahamas Updated December 10, 2018 Years Residential Marriages Only Total Residential and Tourist Marriages Marriage Rate (residential) per 1000 Population 2019       2018       2017   3,574 9.47 2016   3,950 10.6 2015   3,829 10.4 2014   3.964 10.8 2013 2,122 3,617 9.8 2012 N/A 3,685 10.2 2011 1141 Aug 31 3,915 11.1 2010 1939 3,928 5.5 2009 1977 3,956 5.8 2008 1969 4,127 5.8  2007 2021 4,479 6.1 2006 2599 5770 7.9 2005 2508 5864 9.0 2004 2043 5443 6.4 2003 2039 5662 6.5 2002 N/A* 6479 N/A 2001 1789 5536 5.8 2000 2366 6118 7.8 1990 2182   8.6 1980 1396   6.6 1975 1051?   5.6 1970 1436   8.4 1968 to 1987 [ Added January 30, 2021] Special note from the book The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Statistical Abstract 1968 to 1988 Special 20th Anniversary Edition.  Page 37: "During the period under review (1968 to 1987), there has been a steady decline in the marriage rate from 8.9 per thousand mean population in 1969 to 7.9 in 1986.  The total number of marriages on the other hand has increased from 1,485 in 1969 to 1,888 in 1987
*Not available at the Department of Statistics
2009 Age Breakdown
Important Analysis by Brennen
The lowest divorce  rate in The Bahamas from 1975 to 2005 was in the year 1975.  It was 0.5 per 1000 population.    The divorce rate jumped in 30 years to 2.1 in 2005.  There were only 99 divorces in 1975 as compared to 689 in 2005, thirty years later.  Note carefully that the  total number of marriages up until 1998 included residential and tourist marriages.  It was in 1998 the the Department of Statistics started separating the two figures (residential and tourist marriages) The marriage rate has not increased in 30 years.  The marriage rate in 1975 was  5.6 per 1000 population.  The marriage rate in 2005 was 5.3 per 1000 population (30 years later).  This is the lowest marriage rate in 30 years.  This rate can suggests that the number of people getting married each year from 1975 to 2005 has not increased with the population growth.

 

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Teenage Mothers This table is from the Births Report from the Bahamas Department of Statistics Years: 1970 to 2010 Added June 4, 2012

"In 2010, the birth rate to teen mothers 10-19 years of age has decreased significantly, to a low of 17.6 from 32.4 births per1000 females, in 1970. When compared to the annual national totals the proportion of births to teen mothers fluctuated, reaching a high of 21.7 in 1980 to a low of 9.7 percent in 2005. During the last two years, the percentage of births to females under the age of twenty dropped to single digits, indicating some degree of stability in terms of the annual number of births to this group of females"  Department of Statistics

Live Births by Mothers' Country of Birth From the Department of Statistics Years: 1970 to 2010 Added June 4, 2012

Live Births by Marital Status of Mother From the Department of Statistics Years: 1970 to 2010 Added June 4, 2012

 

 

 

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Brief Overview of Bahamian Marriage and Family Statistics for 2000

Also comparison with other countries

Printer Friendly PDF FORMAT     2000 Statistics Slide Show Format

  2010 statistics will be online as soon as soon as it is available

1.         87,742 Households in the Bahamas

i. 37,321 Bahamian homes where married parents live together - 42.5%

ii. 50,140 Bahamian homes where no married parents live together - 57.5%

                                                            Including 7, 342 Common Law Households

                                                       

2.         2,366 Marriages and 503 Divorces in 2000

i. 415 divorces among couples with 0 to 2 children.

                                    The more children a couple has, the less likely the couple will divorce.

 3.        Young mothers (10-19) accounted for 13% of the registered births; 93% of these mothers                    were single

4.            Marriages/Divorce Per 1000 Population

 YEAR        MARRIAGES                     PER 1000                       POPULATION          DIVORCE PER 1000

1970                1,435                               8.4                             170,000                             N.A

1980                1,396                               6.6                             210,000                             0.6

1981                1,205                               5.5                             214,000                             0.8

1984                1,720                               7.6                             226,000                             1.6

1990                2,185                               8.6                             225,000                             1.4

1991                2,491                               9.6                             260,000                             1.3

1987                1,888                               7.9                             240,000                             1.8

1993                2,620                               9.7                             269,000                             1.5

1998                1,684                               5.7                             293,000                             1.2

2000                2,366                               7.8                             304,000                             1.5

 

  5.        Divorce By Duration of Marriage

                Duration of Marriages    Number of Divorces

                    1 Year                              2

                    2 Years                           12

                    3 Years                           26

                    4 Years                           28

                    8 Years                           34

                    10-14 Years                   121

                    15-19 Years                   55

                    20 and Over                   123     

 

6.        Divorce By Number of Children to Marriage

Number of Children            Number of Divorcees

             0                              172

            1                               133

            2                               110

            3                               61

            4                              16

            5                               5

            6                               1

            8 & 9                        -

            10 and More             4

 

7.        Comparison with Jamaica 2001

                        22,301 Marriages,  1691 Divorces - 1/13

 Comparison with Jamaica 2006 

Added November 18, 2008 ( Obtained by a phone call to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica )

             23,148 Marriages, 1768 Divorces - 1/13

 

Comparison with Jamaica 2010

20,489 Marriages and 2,371 Divorces

 

8.        Worldwide Divorce Rate Per 1000 population

            Sri Lanka                  0.15            

            Brazil                        0.26           

            Italy                          0.27            

            Mexico                     0.33            

            Turkey                     0.37            

            Mongolia                  0.37             

            Chile                        0.38            

            Jamaica                   0.38            

            Cyprus                     0.39            

            El Salvador              0.41            

            Ecuador                   0.42            

            Mauritius                  0.47             

            Thailand                   0.58           

            Syria                         0.65           

            Panama                    0.68           

            Brunei                       0.72                    

            Greece                     0.76           

            China                        0.79           

            Singapore                  0.80

            Tunisia                      0.82           

            Albania                     0.83           

             Portugal                    0.88           

            Korea                       0.88           

             Trinidad                    0.97            

            Qatar                        0.97           

             Guadeloupe              1.18           

            Barbados                  1.21           

            Bahamas                  1.6        

            Finland                      1.85           

            Canada                      2.46           

             Australia                   2.52           

            New Zealand             2.63           

             Denmark                   2.81           

            United Kingdom        3.08           

            Russia                       3.36           

            Puerto Rico               4.47           

            US                             4.95                       

 

9.         The ten highest countries per 1000 population          

            Sri Lanka             0.15 

            Jamaica                0.38  

            Trinidad               0.97 

            Guadeloupe         1.18  

            Barbados             1.21 

            Bahamas              1.6   

            Canada                2.46

            United Kingdom   3.08

            US                        4.95                                        

 

10.       Cuba Three of every four marriages end in divorce. - 75% divorce rate and rampant cohabitation

 

11.       Russia The number of divorces surpassed the number of  marriages by 19,600 from January to March this year (2002). In the first quarter of  2001, the number of marriages was 6,100 more than that of divorces.

 

12.        Percentage of Divorces in Select Countries (Percentage from marriages)

            Belarus 68%

            Russian Federation 65%

            Sweden 64%

            United Kingdom 53%

            United States 49%

            Canada 45%

            Bahamas 25%

            Turkmenistan 18%

            Italy 12%

            Albania 7%

            Macedonia 5%

 

13.       Most Popular Months for Getting Married in the Bahamas

January 215

                        February 121

                        June 168

                        July 175

                        August 139

                        September 99

                        December 204

 

14.       Most Popular Ages in the Bahamas for Getting Married

                    Age of Bride       Age of Groom                          Marriages

                     15-19                       60 & Over                               2

                                                                                         

                    20-24                       30-34                                       223

                                                                                            

                     30-34                       30-34                                       283

                                                                                           

                     30-34                       35-39                                       206

                     45-49                       50-54                                       33

                     60 &                        20-24                                       2

                     60 &                        60 &                                        24

15.       Total Marriages Per Age Group

                                              Age              Marriages   

                       Groom             30-34                656

                       Bride                30-34                680

                       Groom              35-39               520

                       Bride                 25-29               554

 

16.        Divorce By Age Groups

            Age of Husband        Age of Wife          Divorces

                      35-39              35-39                     54

                      30-34              40-44                     2

                      40-44              25-29                     1

                      50+                  50+                        113

 

16.       Birth for 2000

                        4,551 Total Live Births

                        1,896 Birth from married mothers  41%

                        2,646 From Single Mothers 59%

 

 

17.       Births in Jamaica 2001

                        48,065 Total live birth

                        39,503 Total births from single mothers 82%

 

18.       The Truth

    “Very religious and traditional couples stay married longer but are the most unhappy among married couples.”  “When the person's allegiance to the scripture was combined with dangerous teachings, much pain often resulted.”