Ahmad 
Libyan society is witnessing increasing concern about the high divorce rates that have recorded significant jumps in recent years.
According to the “Data Pandas” website report for 2024, Libya topped the list of Arab countries in divorce rates, with the rate reaching 2.5 per thousand people, followed by Egypt and Saudi Arabia with rates of 2.3 and 2.1, respectively.
As for Algeria, Jordan and Lebanon, they recorded rates of 1.6, and the lowest rates were in the UAE and Qatar with a rate of 0.7 per thousand people.
The factors affecting the high divorce rates in Libya include economic crises and financial pressures, which are among the most prominent factors that negatively affect the stability of marital life, and the high cost of living and the difficulty of spouses in meeting the needs of their families leads to an escalation of marital disputes, which increases the chances of divorce.
Early marriage, especially the marriage of minors, contributes significantly to the high divorce rates, and the increase in the number of marriages of minors during 2023 led to an increase in the number of divorce cases, which reflects the immaturity of the married parties and the haste in making the decision to marry.
Marriage grants provided by the outgoing Government of National Unity to young people, which were intended to encourage marriage, unexpectedly contributed to an increase in divorce rates, and the quick and unplanned marriages resulting from these grants have led to the instability of many marriages.
Professor of Legal Sciences Al-Hadi Zubaida explained that divorce rates increased by 400% during 2023, and in the city of Benghazi, 3,293 divorces were recorded last year, representing 51% of the number of marriage contracts, compared to 3,874 divorces in 2022, representing 76%, and between 2017 and 2023, Benghazi recorded 25,000 divorces, representing 64% of the number of marriages.
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