The number of divorces soared in Spain in 2006 compared to a year earlier when a new law which made the process of legally ending a marriage faster came into force, official figures showed Thursday.
A total of 126,952 divorces were registered last year, a 74.3 percent jump over the previous year, national statistic institute INE said in a statement.The increase in divorces was especially sharp among those who had been married less than one year, jumping to 945 in 2006, a 330.6 percent rise over 2005 which INE said was linked to the change in the divorce law.
Spain adopted a new divorce law in June 2005 that eliminated a requirement that couples be physical separate for a period of time before divorce proceedings could begin.
The new law also did away with the need for couples to provide a reason, such as infidelity or alcoholism, for seeking a divorce.
The average length of marriages which were terminated last year by either divorce or separations, was 15.1 years while 45 percent of the couples who split up did not have children, the statistics office said.
Source-AFP
SRM/P
