Marital dissolution in India: Patterns and correlates

Abstract

The rate of marital dissolution in India is relatively low from a global perspective; however, the rate of separation exceeds that of divorce. This study aims to estimate the prevalence, trends, variations, and determinants of marital dissolution in India. We employed the approaches of descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression to examine the relationship between marital dissolution and its correlates among ever-married women in India. The findings revealed that urban women are more prone to marital dissolution, with higher rates observed among the impoverished and childless compared to their counterparts. Risk factors such as infertility, poverty, child marriage, the educational gap between spouses, urbanization, and spousal violence contribute significantly to marital disintegration. Special attention should be directed towards these segments of the population to promote marital stability.