China' s Divorce Trends in the Transition Toward a Market Economy1

Abstract

This study examines the changes in China' s divorce patterns since 1950, identifies major factors responsible for the upsurge of divorces since the 1978 economic reform, and discusses the likely trend and socioeconomic implications. Results indicate that the number of divorces per 1,000 population increased steadily from 0.327 in 1979 to 0.954 in 1998 and the number of divorces per 1,000 married population increased from 0.820 to 1.710 over the same period. This study suggests that China' s divorce rate is likely to increase under the economic transition but the rate of increase will be determined by many factors, including the forthcoming Marriage and Family Law.