Marriages and Divorces 2021
South Africa, 2021
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Reference ID
zaf-statssa-md-2021-v1
Producer(s)
Statistics South Africa
Collections
Metadata
Created on
Mar 04, 2023
Last modified
Mar 04, 2023
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1675
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Identification
Survey ID Number
zaf-statssa-md-2021-v1
Title
Marriages and Divorces 2021
Country
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| South Africa | zaf |
Study type
Administrative Data
Abstract
The Marriages and Divorces (MD) dataset is one of three primary sources of of marriage and divorce statistics in South Africa. Unlike the other two sources (population censuses and household sample surveys), the MD dataset is compiled from administrative data and based on continuous recording (i.e. from civil registration systems and administrative records). Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) regularly publishes a series of data on marriages and divorces, with the first dataset in the series begining in 2006. The most recent dataset in the series is MD 2020.
Marriage data: Data on marriages for citizens and permanent residents are obtained from registered marriage records that are collected through the civil registration systems of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). South Africa recognises three types of marriages by law: civil marriages, customary marriages and civil unions. Before 2008, marriage data only covered civil marriages. The registration of customary marriages and civil unions began in 2003 and 2007 respectively. However from 2008 onwards, Stats SA began publishing available data on customary marriages and civil unions.
Divorce data: Data on divorces are obtained from various regional courts that deal with divorce matters. The data are based on successful divorce cases that have been issued with a decree of divorce by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJCD). Divorce cases come from marriages that were registered in different years as well as divorce cases that were filed in different years but whose divorce decrees were granted in the relevant year of collection.
NOTE: although both the data on marriages and divorces are collected in the same year, the data sets are not linked to each other.
Marriage data: Data on marriages for citizens and permanent residents are obtained from registered marriage records that are collected through the civil registration systems of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). South Africa recognises three types of marriages by law: civil marriages, customary marriages and civil unions. Before 2008, marriage data only covered civil marriages. The registration of customary marriages and civil unions began in 2003 and 2007 respectively. However from 2008 onwards, Stats SA began publishing available data on customary marriages and civil unions.
Divorce data: Data on divorces are obtained from various regional courts that deal with divorce matters. The data are based on successful divorce cases that have been issued with a decree of divorce by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJCD). Divorce cases come from marriages that were registered in different years as well as divorce cases that were filed in different years but whose divorce decrees were granted in the relevant year of collection.
NOTE: although both the data on marriages and divorces are collected in the same year, the data sets are not linked to each other.
Kind of Data
Administrative records
Unit of Analysis
Individuals
Version
Version Description
v1: Edited, anonymised dataset for public distribution
Version Date
2021
Version Notes
This version was retrieved by DataFirst on 3 March 2023.
Scope
Notes
Marriage data covers: province of registration, date and type of marriage (religious or civil) and age (and age difference) and status (e.g. single/widow/divorcee) of marital couple.
Divorce data includes: individual level data: Age, gender and population group, status, and occupation and number of children. Data is also collected on the marriage (date, number, type and duration, and matrimonial property system) and the divorce (date of separation and date of divorce).
Divorce data includes: individual level data: Age, gender and population group, status, and occupation and number of children. Data is also collected on the marriage (date, number, type and duration, and matrimonial property system) and the divorce (date of separation and date of divorce).
Coverage
Geographic Coverage
The data has national coverage.
Geographic Unit
The lowest level of geographic aggregation covered by the data is province
Universe
The data covers all civil marriages that were recoreded by the Department of Home Affairs and all divorce applications that were granted by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in 2021 in South Africa.
Producers and sponsors
Primary investigators
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Statistics South Africa | Government of South Africa |
Producers
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Home Affairs | Government of South Africa | Data producer |
| Department of Justice and Constitutional Development | Government of South Africa | Data producer |
Data Collection
Dates of Data Collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2021-01-01 | 2021-12-31 |
Data Collection Mode
Other
Data Collection Notes
The marriage data is provided to Statistics South Africa by the South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) from their marriage registration database based on registration forms.
The divorce data is obtained by Statistic South Africa from the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development from administrative records on divorces granted for civil marriages by its divorce courts.
The divorce data is obtained by Statistic South Africa from the South African Department of Justice and Constitutional Development from administrative records on divorces granted for civil marriages by its divorce courts.
Data Appraisal
Data Appraisal
Geography is problematic in this dataset as not all the data files have geographic data. The Civil Marriages and Civil Unions data files include a Province of Registration variable but the Customary Marriages data file does not. There is also no geographical data in the Divorces file. As this data file includes divorce data from only a subset of divorce courts, this lack of geographical information compromises its usability.
Access policy
Access conditions
Public access data for use under a Creative Commons CC-BY (Attribution-only) License
Citation requirements
Statistics South Africa. Marriages and Divorces 2021 [dataset]. Version 1. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa [producer], 2022. Cape Town: DataFirst [distributor], 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25828/7393-f489
Access authority
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DataFirst | University of Cape Town | support@data1st.org | Link |
Disclaimer and copyrights
Copyright
Copyright 2013, Statistics South Africa
Metadata production
DDI Document ID
ddi-zaf-datafirst-md-2014-v1
Producers
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| DataFirst | University of Cape Town | Metadata producer |
Date of Metadata Production
2023-03-04
DDI Document version
Version 1