Divorces in the republic of Serbia from 1950 to 2020 (demographic-statistical research)

Abstract

The pursuit of married life is the result of the universal need of humanity. Finding a close person with whom a person is bound by unbreakable bonds of love is a significant factor in the life of every man and woman. Traditionally, marriage is considered a lifelong social institution - however, in the last seven decades, both in the world and in the Republic of Serbia, marriage and family relations have undergone many and strong changes. Modern demographic- statistical research indicates that in the past seventy years (in the period from 1950 to 2020) complex demographic processes took place in the Re?public of Serbia, initiated by strong natural, socio-economic and external factors that unequivocally influenced and today affect marriages, and thus the transition of marriages in the Republic of Serbia. Qualitatively-Quantitative analysis determined: length of marriage, age of spouse in case of divorce, divorces in relation to education and spouse nationality. The research results show that men and women are entering the marriage, but later divorce. When concluding and divorcing a marriage, the difference in age between spouses is slightly more than three years on average - men are most commonly older than women. Due to long-term suffering of some form of violence, women most often initiate a divorce. The length of marriage in the Republic of Serbia has an oscillatory course. The average age of husband and wife at divorce is increasing. In the structure of divorced marriages accord?ing to education, marriages with secondary education are dominant. The most represented ethnic community in divorces are Serbs as well as Orthodox in terms of confessions, due to their majority share in the total population of the country.