Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Kuwait Divorce Stats: 55% couples married in last 4 years seek divorce

Kuwait Times today

KUWAIT: Almost 55 percent of couples filing for divorce in Kuwait have been married for four years only, including 25 percent who are yet to celebrate the first anniversary of their wedding, a local daily reported yesterday quoting official statistics. The statistical report released by the Research and Statistics Department in the Ministry of Justice and obtained by Al- Qabas daily further indicates that out of 5,662 couples who sought marriage counseling, only 20 percent had their issue successfully resolved.

Lack of willingness to coexist was identified as the primary cause for divorce requests, with 32 percent of the requests made by husbands and 23 percent by wives.

The statistics further indicate that 77 percent of couples who attended marriage counseling were Kuwaitis compared to 22 percent non-Kuwaitis.

Meanwhile, 62 percent of those couples do not have children, 34 percent have one to three children, and 2.7 percent have between four and six children.


Regarding age groups, the statistics show that 42 percent of couples seeking marriage counseling are aged between 25 and 34, 22 percent aged between 35 and 44, and 20 percent aged between 15 and 25. And according to the couples’ academic levels, the statistics indicate that 28 percent of husbands have middle school degrees, 22 percent have high school degrees and 21 percent have university degrees, whereas 27 percent of wives have high school degrees, 23 percent have university degree, 22 percent have diploma and 20 percent have middle school degree.

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15 years old?  Seriously?  

Wow.  This is a serious problem.  I think people here have outrageous expectations of what married life should be like.  Its a bad cycle.

Arab Times Poll, 19 September


If mommy and daddy are doing it with other people, don't assume that the kids aren't smart enough to recognize it.  Lead by example:  Don't show them that it is acceptable.  It will become a viscious cycle to the next generation.

"My kids don't know..."
"My wife doesn't know...."
Sure they do!  And they're doing to be doing it too.  

3 comments:

Chirp said...

A lot of people do not think past the big wedding party, they think married life is just one big party. Many of them do not understand its hard work, and BOTH the man and the woman have to give and take in this relationship.
The man can't expect to marry someone and change her into his perfect wife, or rule her like a cave man "u cant go out" "u cant have friend" bla bla bla, and women can't expect to marry someone who will just spend his money endlessly on her, especially if he is young and starting out his life.

Desert Girl said...

Chirp - I couldn't agree more (and thank you kindly for commenting).

Any relationship is work. Marriage is more work because you can't just walk away (not without a divorce, court, family/others' involvement...). It's not a big party. Unrealistic expectations abound in Kuwait; and I think many parents are to blame.

They make it seem like it is a great thing to rush into; without looking at the future. They just want to get their children settled, get grand-babies on the way. They probably think that neither party will get a divorce (because when the parents got married - even 20 years ago - divorce was not nearly as common as it is today).

Meeting people of the opposite sex is easy now.
Adultery is easy now.
Divorce is easy now.


Anonymous said...

I have lived here a long time and been married to a Kuwaiti for a long time too. I will never ever be able to figure out Kuwaiti marriages. it's all about the
Grooms mother being in charge then there is...
1, the gold, the dowry,
2. the dress,
3. where the party is
4. Listing what will and will not be accepted by both sides on marriage contract.
5. The party
6. jealous gossip
7. The race to proove fertility
8. The bride and grooms mothers never had a thing to do with the raising of the kids but now they are right there in the marriage.
9. He is still going out with his friends to proove to them that he isnt shackled.
10. She is busy having as many babies as possible, somehow this will 'keep him home'
Of course all the expenses, maids, cars and whatever.
To hear of a couple working together as a team is a strange thing. And getting to the divorce here, it will be one extreme or the other like most things here. There are people that divorce when there is too much salt in the food and then there ISNT divorce when there is serious abuse and prooven adultery. See why I will never figure this out?
Gail