Marriage in Crisis – This is part 1 of a 3-part article on why marriages breakdown.

Alison and I just celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary. Both of us have been concerned about the rising marital breakdowns and increasing divorce rates.

I intend to write a series of articles on this subject to address issues confronting marriage today.

This is my first article, Marital Breakdowns: A Ripple Across Generations.

Enjoy the read.

At the end, I need your help in doing a 5-minute survey on Contributing Factors of Marital Breakups and Divorces. Thank you in advance for participating!

Across the globe, marriages are breaking down at an alarming rate, and Asia is no exception. Let’s consider the statistics:

• Thailand: Divorces increased from 100,000 in 2013 to 127,265 in 2023 – a 27% rise.
• Malaysia: Divorces rose from 47,740 in 2013 to 57,835 in 2023 – a 21.1% increase.
• Indonesia: A staggering jump from 212,000 divorces in 2013 to 463,654 in 2023 – a 119% increase.
• China: Marginal growth from 3.5 million divorces in 2013 to 3.61 million in 2023 – a 3% rise.
• Singapore: A rare decline, from 7,525 divorces in 2013 to 7,118 in 2023 – a 5% drop.

Globally, it is estimated that 1 in 3 marriages ends in divorce. When relational separations are considered, this number may climb to 2 in 3. These figures are not just numbers—they represent broken families, shattered dreams, and generations impacted.

Singapore’s Worrying Divorce Patterns

Although divorce has somewhat stabilize in the 7,000 range, the trends are equally concerning. The three periods when divorces are highest

1. Within the first two years of marriage.
2. Marriages break down during the 5-7 years stage, often when couples have young children.
3. Long-term relationships falter after 20 years or more when the empty-nest phase begins.

The Ripple Effects of Divorce

A meta-global study by the Marriage and Religion Research Institute (MARRI) highlights the devastating consequences of divorce:

• Cyclical Brokenness: Weakened parent-child bonds and diminished emotional closeness.
• Children’s Well-Being: Reduced social skills, problematic attitudes towards relationships, and increased psychiatric burdens.
• Financial Instability: Divorce exacerbates financial struggles and contributes to rising crimes, abuse, and drug use.
• Educational and Spiritual Impact: Diminished learning capacities and reduced faithfulness in religious practices.

These effects aren’t confined to the couple—they ripple outward, affecting children, extended families, and communities.

As Henri-Frédéric Amiel once said, “Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us. Oh, be swift to love, make haste to be kind.” Yet, it’s often those closest to us who bear the brunt of our frustrations.

I’m gathering insights on ‘Contributing Factors to Marriage Breakdowns and Divorces’ to help foster meaningful conversations and address these challenges. Your input would mean a lot, and it would be great if you could share this with your friends, too. Here’s the link:
https://bit.ly/surveyfactorsondivorcebreakups

Thank you for participating!