The number of divorces in Germany rose slightly in 2025, with around 130,100 marriages dissolved by court order, up 0.6% on the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office said on Friday.
Over the long term, however, the divorce rate has been falling for more than 20 years, with only a few exceptions.
In 2025, there were 39.2% fewer divorces than in 2003, when the highest figure since German reunification was recorded. A record low was registered in 2023, followed by a slight increase.
Fewer people are also getting married: in 2025, 348,800 couples said, “I do,” the lowest number since 1950. That represented a fall of 0.1% compared with the previous year and a drop of 8.9% compared with 2003.
Marriages end on average after 14 years
Last year, divorce came on average after 14 years and seven months of marriage. Around 16% of couples divorced in the year of their silver wedding anniversary or later. In the 1990s, that share was still below 11%.
Another long-running trend: The share of divorces involving one child is falling, while the share involving two or more children is rising, the Federal Statistical Office said.
In 2025, children were affected in just over half of all divorces (51.7%). Of those cases, 47.6% of couples had one child, 40.5% had two and 11.9% had three or more. In total, around 113,400 minors were affected.
At 81%, the majority of marriages were dissolved after a prior separation period of one year. A total of 18% involved divorces after a three-year separation. In 1% of cases, provisions for divorce before a one-year separation or divorces under foreign law applied.
Most divorces are uncontested
Around 90% of divorce petitions were filed with the consent of the spouse, while 5.8% were filed jointly. In the remaining 4.1% of cases, the spouse did not give their consent.
Same-sex couples accounted for 1.3% of divorces in 2025, totalling around 1,700, a rise of 10% compared with the previous year.
Same-sex couples have been able to marry in Germany since 2017. In 2025, 339,900 marriages were between a man and a woman and 8,900 were between people of the same sex.