The Chinese province of Sichuan ranked seventh among Chinese provinces in number of couples granted divorces last year.
Sichuan province climbed in rank to first position this year.
Why the dramatic change?
- Some experts attribute it to a powerful, life-altering earthquake there in 2008. It reportedly inspired an attitude that “life is too short” to remain stuck in an unhappy marriage.
- Other experts attribute it to revised legislation simplifying the divorce process. (Couples wishing to divorce are no longer required to produce “letters of introduction” from their “work units” or “neighborhood committees”.)
- And still other experts attribute it to increased social mobility.
Of course, most likely, a combination of all of them drove the growth in divorce in that province.
All are universal and have influenced divorce rates in the US and elsewhere, to one degree or another, in one place or another, at one time or another.
Read more in this [India] Sify news article: Earthquake blamed for divorce rise in southwest China.
