Last year witnessed the largest surge in the UK’s divorce rate in over a decade, with 116,000 divorce applications in 2022, reflecting an increase of 7,800 compared to 2021. This significant spike has prompted Divorce-Online, one of the UK’s leading filers of divorce applications, to delve into research to identify the most prevalent areas for divorce in the country.
Mark Keenan, a representative of Divorce-Online, commented on the changing dynamics, stating, “Traditionally, addictions to substances like drugs and alcohol, as well as behaviours like gambling and excessive social media use, have been identified as catalysts for the dissolution of relationships.
However, the advent of the digital age has ushered in a new wave of addictive behaviors, such as excessive gaming, online shopping, virtual reality engagements, and an overreliance on digital devices, each presenting its own unique challenges to maintaining healthy relationships.”
In an attempt to identify the current divorce hotspots, Divorce-Online revisited the data, and the town of Alfreton emerged as the unfortunate #1 hotspot for divorce, surpassing even Croydon, which held the title in 2018.
Top 10 Towns and Cities with the Highest Divorce Rates in 2023:
1. Alfreton
2. Epping
3. Newark
4. Loughborough
5. Ashford
6. Brierley Hill
7. Didcot
8. Stockton-on-tees
9. Swindon
10. Colchester
Divorce-Online’s Methodology Overview for Analysis of UK Divorce Rates:
The research leveraged Divorce-Online’s internal database, representing approximately 5% of all divorce applications in England and Wales. Scaling figures by a factor of 20, the extrapolation ensured a comprehensive analysis. Population data from the Office for National Statistics played a crucial role in calculating divorce rates across England and Wales.
Key Findings:
- The Midlands, East of England, and South of England exhibit higher divorce rates than the national average.
- Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Essex, and Cambridgeshire are the counties most represented in the top 20 towns and cities.
- Divorce-Online remains committed to providing authoritative insights into the evolving landscape of divorce in the UK, shedding light on the societal and behavioural shifts that contribute to these patterns.
Featured Photo by Afif Ramdhasuma on Unsplash.