Spanish divorce rate soars

Following the introduction of a new law which has made the process of divorce easier in Spain, the rate of marital separation in the country has increased rapidly.

As of June 2005, couples no longer have to be physical apart for a period of time before they can start divorce proceedings. In addition, they do not have to provide a reason for wanting to divorce, such as infidelity.

According to figures from national statistic institute INE released yesterday (Thursday), 126,952 couples got a divorce in 2006 - 74.3 per cent more than did in the previous year, the Agence France-Presse reports.

Those who had been married for less than a year were found to be the most likely candidates for divorce, with the number of couples in this group splitting up increasing by more than 330 per cent to 945 in 2006.

On average, the length of a marriage which was terminated last year was around 15 years.

It was also found that almost half (45 per cent) of the couples who divorced did not have any children.

Share your story