Kuwait records lowest marriage rates in 5 years, rising divorces
538 second marriages in a year of declining overall marriage rates
Dubai: Kuwait has experienced its lowest marriage rate in the past five years in 2023, alongside a notable increase in divorce rates across the country, according to the latest data from the Central Statistical Administration.
The marriage rate for 2023 was reported at 21.4 percent, with a total of 11,166 marriages recorded throughout the year. Of these, the majority, 9,280 marriages (83.1 per cent), were between Kuwaiti men and women.
Marriages involving Kuwaiti men and non-Kuwaiti women accounted for 1,365 cases (12.2 per cent), while marriages of Kuwaiti women to non-Kuwaitis comprised 521 cases (4.7 per cent).
The data also highlighted the practice of polygamy among Kuwaitis, showing that 538 men married a second wife, 51 took a third wife, and three men married a fourth wife in 2023.
Divorce figures have also seen an upward trend, with approximately 5,932 divorces reported, marking an increase from previous years.
May emerged as the month with the highest number of divorces, totaling 629 cases. The divorce rate was particularly high among university-educated Kuwaitis, with 4,239 such divorces recorded. Saad Al Abdullah City experienced the highest number of divorces, with a total of 291 cases noted.