Divorce rate goes up after national holidays due to family conflict, mental stress

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Divorce filings tend to rise in the months following days of family gatherings, prompted by holiday-related stress and years of underlying tensions that remain unresolved, data showed Sunday.

Many say divorce rarely results from a single event. Rather, major holidays that heighten pressure lead to a spike in mental stress that both spouses had previously kept unaddressed.

A growing number of couples are choosing permanent separation, saying it is “not worth it” to try to have a conversation once they have reached the point where they no longer want to talk to each other.

According to 2024 marriage and divorce statistics released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the total number of divorces last year remained in the low-90,000 range.

What was notable was that January through March — which generally includes the Lunar New Year holiday — saw a relatively higher share of annual divorce filings than other months.

January alone made up nearly 9 percent of the annual total.

Couples married five to nine years accounted for the largest share of divorces, followed by those married four years or less.

Separations after being married 30 years or more continued to rise to account for a mid-10 percent of total. It showed a gradual upward trend.

In a separate poll of 403 married women conducted by Duo Life Consulting, 58.1 percent said visiting their in-laws during the national holidays was “difficult and uncomfortable.”

The greatest source of stress was mothers-in-law, followed by sisters-in-law.

Another survey of 518 divorced men and women by remarriage agencies found that holidays was often a trigger for conflict.

Women said gatherings with their husband’s family as the biggest stress factor, while men said the burden of coordinating holiday schedules with their spouse was the biggest reason.

The statistics agency says it is not uncommon for long-standing conflicts to surface during the holidays.

Disputes over in-law visits, financial expenses and cooking and other emotional labor can intensify during gatherings.

A recent online post questioning whether marriage is “worth it” during the holiday season went viral.

“When the holidays come around, single people make travel plans, but many married women find themselves laboring at their in-laws’ homes only to return home to end up in an argument with their husbands,” the post said.

“It makes you question whether marriage is worth it.”