Years of uncertainty – pandemic and isolation accompanied by war in Ukraine and soaring interest rates – have put marriages to the test. But still, the number of divorces has decreased.
And the decline seems to continue. At least according to the Swedish Courts Agency’s statistics for the first seven months of the year. During the period January–July, Sweden’s courts received 15,911 applications for divorce. During the corresponding period last year, the number of applications was 16,602 and in 2020 almost 19,000.
Glenn Sandström, docent in history with a focus on demography at Umeå University, explains what may be behind it – and what we can expect in the future.
In the player above: “Disinclination to make risky decisions”