4,472 marriages have ended in divorce since the introduction of divorce back in 2011, figures given in parliament on Monday show.

In the first 17 days of 2024, there have already been 19 divorce cases in Malta. 

Deyails were given by  Justice Minister Jonathan Attard who was asked by PN MP Bernice Bonello how many divorce cases have been decided by the courts.

Malta introduced divorce in 2011 after a national referendum was approved with 53 per cent of the vote.  The referendum was held on the personal initiative of then Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, who tabled a private member’s bill without prior approval of his party. He was however, backed by the then Labour opposition. 

39 divorces were approved in 2011, and that number jumped to 406 in the following year. 

In 2013, there were 309 divorces in Malta and 11 in Gozo. 

Figures of how many separations and divorces took place in the past 13 years. Photo: Parliament

In 2022, there were 524 divorces in Malta approved and 18 in Gozo. Last year, there were 483 in Malta and 18 in Gozo.

There were 2,237 marriages in 2022, the number of marriages having surged that year after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.  

The jump in numbers could also be related to the change in the divorce law in 2020. 

Before, couples had to live apart for four years before they could apply for a divorce. The change in law slashed that time to six months. 

Back in 2022, it was reported that Malta's divorce rate was the lowest in Europe.

According to figures issued by Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency, there were 0.5 divorces registered for every 1,000 people, the lowest rate since divorce was legalised in 2011.

1,553 separation cases 

The details given in parliament on Monday also show that 1,553 separation cases have been decided in both Malta and Gozo since 2011. 

Last year, 13 couples in Gozo filed for a separation, while 110 couples went to the Maltese courts for a separation.

The highest number of reported separation cases in Gozo was in 2015 when 60 couples filed for a separation. In the same year, there were 107 separation cases in Malta.