The concepts described on these pages are words and expressions used in statistics with a specific, limited meaning. In everyday speech the word may have a different meaning. In connection with each definition you can find information about which sets of statistics use the concept.
If you are looking for statistical figures, go from the definition to the statistics page.
Total divorce rate
The total divorce rate is an index calculated from the divorces granted in one year. Ratios are calculated between the numbers of marriages contracted in different years and ending in divorce and the numbers of all marriages contracted in the same year, respectively. For example, for couples divorced in 2001, a ratio is calculated between those married for 30 years and all couples married in 1971; between those married for 29 years and all couples married in 1972; and so on. The sum of these ratios, expressed per hundred, is the total divorce rate. It indicates the percentage of marriages that would end in divorce if the divorce rate of the reference year remained the same during the entire marriage. Because in certain cases the figure can be higher than 100 per cent, it is not right to interpret it as a probability.
Validity of the definition
- Valid
Source organisation
- Tilastokeskus
Jaa