Kerala Divorce Rate Rising: 1 In 3 Marriages End In Separation, Courts Slowly Adapt

Thiruvananthapuram: One in three marriages registered in Kerala end in divorce, new data reveals. The state sees around 1.10 lakh marriages registered each year, yet approximately 30,000 divorce petitions are filed in family courts annually. It reflects a rising trend of shorter-lived marriages. Thiruvananthapuram has recorded the highest number of divorce cases in the state, followed by Kollam. Responding to report, author NS Madhavan stated that it was a happy development that couples are getting out of toxic marriages. 

Surprisingly 1 in 3 marriages in Kerala fail. Out of 1.10 lakh marriages per year, 30000 end up in divorce. Happy that couples are getting out of toxic marriages fast - society not withstanding. Unhappy for the mental trauma. Yet another European statistic for Kerala. twitter/QnPrtlpmWR

- N.S. Madhavan (@NSMlive) September 22, 2025

What Does The Data Show?

The number of new divorce cases in Kerala has changed over the past few years. From 2019 to 2022, new case filings steadily rose, starting at 19,189 in 2019 and peaking at 50,781 in 2022. However, in 2023, filings dropped to 33,535, and in 2024 they fell further to 30,647. Preliminary data for the first six months of 2025 shows 16,732 new cases, suggesting that the number of filings may now be stabilizing at lower levels compared to the 2022 peak. Kerala's family courts have struggled with a backlog of cases for years. Pending cases reached a high of 42,338 in 2020, largely because court operations were limited during the pandemic. That year, only 9,320 cases were resolved while 18,886 new cases were filed, creating a large pile of unresolved cases. Court performance has improved in recent years. Cases resolved annually increased from 25,050 in 2021 to 31,346 in 2022, and 36,894 in 2023. This helped reduce the pending caseload from the 2020 peak to 37,474 cases by 2024, although the backlog remains significant.

Data from 2024 shows signs of stabilization. That year, 30,647 new cases were filed while 31,557 were closed, slightly reducing pending cases. Early 2025 data shows a similar trend, with 16,732 new cases and 16,139 closures in the first six months. This suggests Kerala's family courts are gradually adapting to handle divorce petitions more efficiently and reduce the backlog.

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