Alberta sees drop in divorce rate since start of pandemic

Divorce rates in Alberta are at a 40-year low since the beginning of the pandemic, with some experts saying COVID-19 has contributed to couples staying together.

Matt Johnson, an associate professor of family science at the University of Alberta, says it’s possible the stress of the pandemic put major life decisions like divorce on hold for many people.

“People had other things to worry about at the time, everything was very uncertain,” said Johnson.

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StatsCanada also believes barriers to accessing court services during the pandemic could be another factor.

But divorce wasn’t the only thing put on hold in 2020. The province saw nearly 4,000 fewer marriages compared to 2019 and a drop in the number of babies born as well.

“There was a lot of speculation that COVID-19 would lead to a baby boom because people were stuck at home,” said Johnson.

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Johnson also says some of the limited data around social dynamics during the pandemic has revealed trends similar to when couples go through natural disasters together.

“When people live through a natural disaster, things like hurricanes, tornados, etc., it’s an opportunity to really take stock of your life and think about what’s meaningful,” he said.

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While 2020 saw a drop in divorces, Johnson says the divorce rates across the country continue to fall year after year.

“Since the mid ’90s the divorce rate has been steadily decreasing in North America and COVID-19 is an outlier in how fast the divorce rate dropped,” he said.

He expects things will level out again once we reach the other side of the pandemic.

–With files from Jasmine Vickaryous