Recent data from the Sample Registration System Statistical Report 2024 shows that 3.5 per cent of India’s population falls into the widowed, divorced or separated category, a drop from 4.1 per cent recorded in 2014. This comes amid ongoing discussions about shifting family patterns and higher divorce numbers. The overall share of such individuals has decreased nationally over ten years, though a few southern states have seen increases instead. Notable declines occurred in Uttarakhand, falling from 6.2 per cent to 3.5 per cent, and Chhattisgarh, dropping from 5.2 per cent to 3.6 per cent. Delhi’s rate went from 3.6 per cent to 2 per cent, Gujarat’s from 4.8 per cent to 3.1 per cent, and Bihar’s from 2.3 per cent to 1.5 per cent.
