Fewer Kenyan women getting married, divorce rates on the rise - KNBS report

Fewer women in Kenya are getting married while the number of those separating or divorcing continues to rise, a new government report shows.

The Kenya Vital Statistics Report 2024, published by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, reveals a significant shift in marital trends among women aged 15 to 49 over the past three decades.

The report underscores the key role marriage plays in population growth, noting that most children born each year are to married women.

“Most of the children born each year are born to married women, thus underscoring the role of marriage in population increase. However, some marriages end up in separation and/or divorce,” the report states.

According to the data, in 1989, about 63.1 per cent of women in that age bracket were married. However, by 2022, the proportion had fallen sharply to 48.1 per cent, showing a consistent decline in marriage rates over time.

Meanwhile, the number of divorced or separated women has more than doubled. In 1989, just 4.6 per cent of women were recorded as divorced or separated. By 2022, that figure had climbed to 9.3 per cent.

The report outlines a gradual increase in the proportion of women divorcing or separating. From 4.6 per cent in 1989, the rate rose to 5.3 per cent in 1993, slightly dropped to 4.9 per cent in 1998, and then steadily increased to 5.9 per cent in 2003.

By 2008/09, it had reached 6.1 per cent, rose to 7.7 per cent in 2014, and stood at 9.3 per cent in 2022.

The report also traces the changing marriage trends. While 63.1 per cent of women were married in 1989, the figure fell to 58.3 per cent in 1993, then rose slightly to 58.8 per cent in 1998.

However, the decline resumed in 2003 at 54.5 per cent, dropped to 54.2 per cent in 2008/09, and then slightly improved to 54.6 per cent in 2014. By 2022, it had fallen significantly to 48.1 per cent.

The statistics further highlight the importance of family formation through marriage in supporting population growth.

The 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) also examined how many marriages are formally registered. It found that only 19.3 per cent of married women aged 15 to 49 had officially registered their current marriage with civil authorities. Even fewer—just 15.6 per cent—had a marriage certificate.

The report notes that after a marriage is solemnised, a certificate is issued, and a copy is submitted to the Registrar of Marriages within fourteen days. The Registrar then records the information in a register and attaches a scanned copy in an Excel sheet.

For a divorce to be recognised, the Kenya Vital Registration System says a case must be filed at the Resident Magistrate’s Court.

If the court determines the marriage is irreparably broken, it issues a Divorce Decree Nisi followed by a Decree Absolute. A certified copy of this is sent to the Registrar of Marriages, who then enters it into the official divorce register.

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