Malaysia’s Marriage and Divorce Rates See Major Shifts

PETALING JAYA: The latest data from the Statistics Department reveals a 12.5% drop in marriages in Malaysia. Numbers fell from 215,022 in 2022 to 188,100 in 2023. Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin stated that the Crude Marriage Rate (CMR) decreased from 6.6 to 5.7 per thousand people.

Muslim Marriages Face the Sharpest Decline

Muslim marriages saw a significant drop of 16.8%. These unions fell from 168,467 in 2022 to 140,176 in 2023, making up 74.5% of all marriages in the country. Selangor recorded a 17.4% decline, Kelantan 17.7%, and Johor 15.8%, showing the steepest decreases among states.

Non-Muslim Marriages Increase Slightl

In contrast, non-Muslim marriages experienced a 2.9% rise. These grew from 46,555 in 2022 to 47,924 in 2023. States like Johor, Sarawak, and Kuala Lumpur reported the highest increases, signaling a positive trend in this segment.

Divorces Also Decline in 2023

Divorce rates fell by 8.7%, from 63,338 in 2022 to 57,835 in 2023. The Crude Divorce Rate (CDR) improved slightly, dropping from 1.9 to 1.8 per thousand people.

Muslim divorces declined by 3.9%, with the largest drops in Kelantan, Johor, and Sabah. Non-Muslim divorces fell sharply by 21.4%, showing a more significant improvement.