Irish divorce rate up 70% since 2002

The number of Irish marriages that have ended in divorce in the last four years has risen by almost 70 per cent, according to new statistics.

In the four years between 2002 and 2006, the divorce rate increased by 69.8 per cent from 35,100 divorces a year to 59,500 divorces a year, figures from the Irish Central Statistic Office (CSO) show.

Published in the second volume of Census 2006, the data also reveals that during the same period the number of separated people also increased from 98,800 in 2002 to 107,300 in 2006, which equates to a rise of 8.6 per cent.

Moreover, between 2002 and 2006 the number of single people increased by 10.5 per cent.

According to the Census: "Galway and Maynooth remain the single capitals of Ireland and are joined by Kinsealy-Drinan in Fingal in having the highest proportion of single persons."

The number of married people increased by just 7.6 per cent during the same period.