A record high proportion of older couples who have been married for at least 20 years divorced in 2022 amid Japan’s ageing population, according to data from the country’s Welfare Ministry.

       However, the number of divorces in 2022 decreased to 179,099 from the record 289,836 divorces in 2002, a 40 per cent drop.

       Despite a general decline in the total number of divorces, the figure for longer-term marriages ending in divorce has remained steady at around 40,000 for the past two decades.

       Statistics revealed that in 2022, 38,991 couples, or more than 20 per cent, divorced after being married for at least 20 years, Asahi Shimbun reported on Aug 13. This is the highest percentage recorded since data collection began in 1947.

       For longer-term marriages ending in divorce, the data showed that 16,404 couples split up after 20 to 24 years of marriage; 10,829 after 25 to 29 years; 5,192 after 30 to 34 years; and 6,566 after 35 years or more.

       The largest group of divorces in 2022 involved 52,606 couples, or more than 30 per cent, who divorced within five years of marriage.

       However, both the number of and percentage of these shorter-term marriages have been shrinking, likely due to the overall decline in the number of marriages.

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       Divorce counsellor Atsuko Okano, who is also the president of the non-profit organisation Nikkaren, which provides family issue support and advice, told the Japanese daily that “the significant increase in average lifespan post-World War II means couples are spending more time together after their children become independent”.

       “This extended time can bring underlying differences and tensions to the surface, making it difficult for couples to stay together and often leading them to seek a new beginning.”