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Bahamas Marriage, Divorce, and Live Births Statistics
Updated November 18, 2007
See Article "Is Marriage on the Decline?" Written 2007,    Divorce and Marriage in the Bahamas  Written 2004
 

Divorce Statistics in the Bahamas Update Nov 18, 2007
Year Divorces Granted  Divorces Filed Divorce Rate Per 1,000 Population

2000

 503

592

 1.7

2001

 461 577 1.5
2002 437 556 1.4
2003 324 653 1.3
2004 647 N/A 2.0
2005 689* 684 2.1
2006 N/A 758  
*Provisional
Marriage Statistics In The Bahamas Update Nov 18, 2007
Years Residential Marriages Only Total Residential and Tourist Marriages Marriage Rate (residential) per 1000 Population
First 6 Months in 2007   2119  
2006 Soon Available 5371  
2005 1731 5864 5.3
2004 2043 5443 6.4
2003 2039 5662 6.5
2002 N/A* 6479 N/A
2001 1789 5536 5.8
2000 2366 6118 7.8
*Not available at the Department of Statistics
 
Important Analysis by Brennen

The lowest divorce  rate in The Bahamas from 1975 to 2005 was in the year 1975.  It was 0.5 per 1000 population.    The divorce rate jumped in 30 years to 2.1 in 2005.  There were only 99 divorces in 1975 as compared to 689 in 2005, thirty years later.  Note carefully that the  total number of marriage up until 1998 included residential and tourist marriages.  It was in 1998 the the Department of Statistics started separating the two figures (residential and tourist marriages)

The marriage rate has not increased in 30 years.  The marriage rate in 1975 was  5.6 per 1000 population.  The marriage rate in 2005 was 5.3 per 1000 population (30 years later).  This is the lowest marriage rate in 30 years.  This rate can suggests that the number of people getting married each year from 1975 to 2005 has not increased with the population growth.
 
Live Births by Legitimacy & Age Group of Mother 1975 to 2005
Select Years Presented Below.    Update Nov 18, 2007
 

Rates Based On the Age of the Mother at the Birth of the Child
  10-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45 to 50+ NS Total
  1975
  • Born in Wedlock
 1 163 657 1364 8 19 2,214
  • Born out of Wedlock
 10 505 588 145 3   1,769
      Total Births in 1975 3,983
               
  10-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45 to 50+ NS Total
 1980
  • Born in Wedlock
 0 100 539 1227 7 9 1,892
  • Born out of Wedlock
 22 979 1044 971 4 15 3,035
      Total Births in 1980 4,927
               
  10-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45 to 50+ NS Total
 1985*
  • Born in Wedlock
 2 91 559 1391 2 13 2,056
  • Born out of Wedlock
 25 789 1228 1305 2 21 3,380*
      Total Births in 1985 5,436
 

* Brennen Analysis:  Between 1975 and 2005, the year 1985 is the year with highest amount of children born out of wedlock (3.380).  The following years also had more than 3000 children born out of wedlock: 1980 (3035), 1981 (3115), 1982 (3147), 1984 (3114). Between 1986 and 2005  the figures for children born out of wedlock did not pass 3000 in one year.  This contradicts the beliefs that during those year the illegitimate birthrate skyrocketed.  What was happening between 1980 and 1985?  It was the time when illegal drug usage and sales was at its highest in The Bahamas.  See figures below.
               
  10-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45 to 50+ NS Total
 1990
  • Born in Wedlock
 0 7 238 1764 133 45 2,141
  • Born out of Wedlock
 13 683 929 1215 4 24 2,866
      Total Births in 1990 5,007
               
  10-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45 to 50+ NS Total
 1995
  • Born in Wedlock
   41 343 1524 48   1,913
  • Born out of Wedlock
 17 508 794 945 34   2,276
      Total Births in 1995 4,189
               
  10-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45 to 50+ NS Total
 2000
  • Born in Wedlock
 1 41 271 1581 8 2 1,904
  • Born out of Wedlock
 19 519 844 1192 2 8 2,584
      Total Births in 2000 4,488
               
  10-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45 to 50+ NS Total
 2004
  • Born in Wedlock
   36 268 1608 4 15 1,931
  • Born out of Wedlock
 8 531 843 1119 4 10 2,515
      Total Births in 2004 4,446
               
  10-14 15-19 20-24 25-44 45 to 50+ NS Total
 2005
  • Born in Wedlock
   23 271 1731 2   2,027
  • Born out of Wedlock
 8 508 883 1302 2 3 2,706
      Total Births in 2005 4,733
               

Brennen Analysis
Ages 10-14.  Note carefully that the year with the highest birthrate between 1975 and 2005 for mothers out of wedlock ages 10-14 was in 1984 (56 births).   The following years also had double digits birthrate for mothers out of wedlock ages 10-14:  1977 (22),  1979 (19), 1981 (17), 1983 (25),  1987 (19),  1988 (21), 1993 (29).  From 2001 the rates for this age group has been in the single digits:  2001 (5), 2003 (9), 2004 (8), 2005 (8).  What is the reason for this decrease?  It is because of more education or the use of contraceptives?

Ages 15 to 24:  My analysis of this age bracket shows me that the singles between ages 15 to 24 are having more children out of wedlock than mothers ages 25 to 44.   More married women than unmarried women ages 25 to 44 are having children.  Note statistics above.  These statistics are made possible by the Department of Statistics of The Bahamas

 

 

 

 

 
 
Brief Overview of Bahamian Marriage and Family Statistics for 2000
Also comparison with other countries

 

1.         87,742 Households in the Bahamas
i. 37,321 Bahamian homes where married parents live together - 42.5%
ii. 50,140 Bahamian homes where no married parents live together - 57.5%
                                                            Including 7, 342 Common Law Households
                                                       
2.         2,366 Marriages and 503 Divorces in 2000
i. 415 divorces among couples with 0 to 2 children.
                                    The more children a couple has, the less likely the couple will divorce.

 3.        Young mothers (10-19) accounted for 13% of the registered births; 93% of these mothers                    were single

4.            Marriages/Divorce Per 1000 Population

 YEAR        MARRIAGES                     PER 1000                       POPULATION          DIVORCE PER 1000
1970                1,435                               8.4                             170,000                             N.A
1980                1,396                               6.6                             210,000                             0.6
1981                1,205                               5.5                             214,000                             0.8
1984                1,720                               7.6                             226,000                             1.6
1990                2,185                               8.6                             225,000                             1.4
1991                2,491                               9.6                             260,000                             1.3
1987                1,888                               7.9                             240,000                             1.8
1993                2,620                               9.7                             269,000                             1.5
1998                1,684                               5.7                             293,000                             1.2
2000                2,366                               7.8                             304,000                             1.5

 

  5.        Divorce By Duration of Marriage

                Duration of Marriages    Number of Divorces
                    1 Year                              2
                    2 Years                           12
                    3 Years                           26
                    4 Years                           28
                    8 Years                           34
                    10-14 Years                   121
                    15-19 Years                   55
                    20 and Over                   123     
 

6.        Divorce By Number of Children to Marriage

Number of Children            Number of Divorcees
             0                              172
            1                               133
            2                               110
            3                               61
            4                              16
            5                               5
            6                               1
            8 & 9                        -
            10 and More             4

 

7.        Comparison with Jamaica 2001

                        22,301 Marriages,  1691 Divorces - 1/13

 

8.        Worldwide Divorce Rate Per 1000 population

            Sri Lanka                  0.15            
            Brazil                        0.26           
            Italy                          0.27            
            Mexico                     0.33            
            Turkey                     0.37            
            Mongolia                  0.37             
            Chile                        0.38            
            Jamaica                   0.38            
            Cyprus                     0.39            
            El Salvador              0.41            
            Ecuador                   0.42            
            Mauritius                  0.47             
            Thailand                   0.58           
            Syria                         0.65           
            Panama                    0.68           
            Brunei                       0.72                    
            Greece                     0.76           
            China                        0.79           
            Singapore                  0.80
            Tunisia                      0.82           
            Albania                     0.83           
             Portugal                    0.88           
            Korea                       0.88           
             Trinidad                    0.97            
            Qatar                        0.97           
             Guadeloupe              1.18           
            Barbados                  1.21           
            Bahamas                  1.6        
            Finland                      1.85           
            Canada                      2.46           
             Australia                   2.52           
            New Zealand             2.63           
             Denmark                   2.81           
            United Kingdom        3.08           
            Russia                       3.36           
            Puerto Rico               4.47           
            US                             4.95                       

 

9.         The ten highest countries per 1000 population          

            Sri Lanka             0.15 
            Jamaica                0.38  
            Trinidad               0.97 
            Guadeloupe         1.18  
            Barbados             1.21 
            Bahamas              1.6   
            Canada                2.46
            United Kingdom   3.08
            US                        4.95                                        

 

10.       Cuba Three of every four marriages end in divorce. - 75% divorce rate and rampant cohabitation

 

11.       Russia The number of divorces surpassed the number of  marriages by 19,600 from January to March this year (2002). In the first quarter of  2001, the number of marriages was 6,100 more than that of divorces.

 

12.        Percentage of Divorces in Select Countries (Percentage from marriages)

            Belarus 68%
            Russian Federation 65%
            Sweden 64%
            United Kingdom 53%
            United States 49%
            Canada 45%
            Bahamas 25%
            Turkmenistan 18%
            Italy 12%
            Albania 7%
            Macedonia 5%

 

13.       Most Popular Months for Getting Married in the Bahamas

January 215
                        February 121
                        June 168
                        July 175
                        August 139
                        September 99
                        December 204

 

14.       Most Popular Ages in the Bahamas for Getting Married

                    Age of Bride       Age of Groom                          Marriages
                     15-19                       60 & Over                               2
                     20-24