New data from a Norwegian study has shed light on the divorce trends among same-sex couples. The data, which spans from 1993 to 2018, tracks marriages and divorces among both male and female same-sex couples across the country. With the legislation legalising same-sex partnerships in 1993 and later marriages in 2009, this study offers one of the most extensive analyses of the patterns of divorce in same-sex relationships over a 25-year period. The findings were published in the journal Data in Brief.
Rune Zahl-Olsen, PhD, a research manager from the Sørlandet Hospital, led the study. He said the motivation of the study was “to investigate if there are differences between different-sex and same-sex marriages in regard to stability, but also how popular same-sex marriages have become in a secularised country like Norway, where the legislation of same-sex marriages was among the first.”
Divorce rates for female same-sex couples were found to be consistently higher compared to their male counterparts, aligning with trends observed in other countries with legalised same-sex marriage. Over the 25-year follow-up period, the data shows that female same-sex marriages were more likely to end in divorce.
Zahl-Olsen added: “The study identifies a substantial difference when comparing the stability of same-sex male and same-sex female couples. Divorce risks are highest in female same-sex marriages, whereas male same-sex marriages have the same divorce risk levels as different-sex marriages.”
This dataset provides crucial insights into how same-sex marriages are evolving in both urban and rural areas of Norway. A key finding from the study indicates that divorce rates in urban areas were marginally higher than in rural regions. This difference is notable when considering the lifestyle and social dynamics between the two environments, with urban areas often characterised by greater anonymity and more liberal attitudes. But Zahl-Olsen highlighted an emerging trend: “The divorce risk is declining for same-sex marriages in urban areas, while the opposite is observed in rural areas. This is a trend not found in studies on different-sex marriages.”
Zahl-Olsen, along with co-author Frode Thuen, previously explored these trends in their 2022 study published in the Journal of Family History. This research delved further into the urban-rural divide, revealing that while divorce rates have declined for same-sex couples in urban areas, they have increased in rural regions. The study also confirmed that female same-sex marriages remain more prone to divorce than male same-sex or different-sex marriages.
One of the more intriguing aspects of the research is how it breaks down the marriages by age groups within the couples. The study tracks the “senior” and “junior” members of each couple – referring to the older and younger spouse, respectively. It was observed that the age at which same-sex couples enter into marriage has fluctuated over the years, with younger couples more likely to divorce within the first few years of marriage. But marriages where both partners were older tended to be more stable over time, reflecting a pattern that is similarly observed in heterosexual marriages.
The legal context in Norway is also important to note. Prior to 2009, same-sex couples were only able to register as domestic partners. The shift to full marriage rights in 2009 has been seen as a progressive move, yet the data does not differentiate between partnerships registered before the change and those formed after. Zahl-Olsen explained that “gender-neutral marriage law appears to have had minimal impact on the rate of same-sex unions and divorces, even if that was one of the main reasons for removing the prior law of legislation for same-sex relationships.”
Zahl-Olsen also mentioned that future research will investigate other factors affecting same-sex marriages, particularly the impact of children on marriage stability. He noted that “future plans are to investigate the relation between children referred to psychiatric services in relation to divorce and if having children with a diagnosis impacts marriage stability, or if it is the other way around.”
