Malaysia Sees Fewer Marriages and Falling Divorce Rates
A significant decline in marriages and falling divorce rates highlight changing dynamics in Malaysian relationships.
PETALING JAYA: A recent report from the Statistics Department has shown a 12.5% decline in the number of marriages in Malaysia, dropping from 215,022 in 2022 to 188,100 in 2023.
According to Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin, the Crude Marriage Rate (CMR) has decreased from 6.6 to 5.7 per thousand population.
Muslim Marriages Account for Majority of Decline
The largest drop was observed in Muslim marriages, which made up 74.5% of total marriages. From 168,467 in 2022, Muslim marriages plummeted to 140,176 in 2023, marking a 16.8% decline.
Selangor, Kelantan, and Johor recorded the highest reductions in Muslim marriages, with declines of 17.4%, 17.7%, and 15.8%, respectively.
Non-Muslim Marriages See Slight Increase
On the other hand, non-Muslim marriages saw a modest increase of 2.9%, from 46,555 in 2022 to 47,924 in 2023. Johor, Sarawak, and Kuala Lumpur were the top performers in this category.
Divorce Rates Experience Positive Shift
The divorce rate also showed a positive trend, with a decrease of 8.7%, from 63,338 in 2022 to 57,835 in 2023. The Crude Divorce Rate (CDR) improved from 1.9 to 1.8 per thousand people.
Muslim divorces fell by 3.9%, while non-Muslim divorces saw a more significant reduction of 21.4%. Kelantan, Johor, and Sabah experienced the most significant drops in Muslim divorces.
