Gray Divorces Surge Across Aging Asia

Divorces among couples aged 50 and older are increasing throughout Asia. In Japan, women filed for divorce at twice the rate of men in 2024 among couples ending decades-long marriages. South Korea recorded more divorces in the past year among couples married at least 30 years than among those married less than five years—a first in its history. Taiwan’s government data show a similar upward trend, while law firms in Hong Kong report a surge, and mainland China’s elderly divorce numbers have doubled over the past 30 years. The phenomenon is linked to longer life expectancies, giving people “extra 20, 30 years” to reassess unhappy marriages (the article).

CNN

Legal changes have lowered barriers for older women. South Korea’s 2014 ruling allows future pensions and severance pay to be divided in divorce, and Japan introduced a comparable reform in 2007. These safeguards matter because elderly poverty rates are high: among OECD nations, South Korea has the highest poverty rate for those over 65, and Hong Kong’s rate is similarly elevated despite not being an OECD member.

CNN

Eiko Toyama waited 32 years before divorcing at age 60, describing the post-divorce period as “nothing but happy.” She now livestreams on TikTok, runs a marriage-agency startup, and emphasizes the freedom she feels. In Hong Kong, Iman Lau divorced at 50 after a 14-year marriage, describing the experience as a “rebirth” that led her to outdoor activities, piano lessons, and travel. Both women report that younger acquaintances celebrate such decisions, while some peers treat them as taboo.

CNN

• “For women in particular, the main reason they can’t get a divorce is the inability to be financially independent,” — Eiko Toyama

CNN

Researchers suggest the rise may plateau when millennials, who married under different social norms, reach retirement age—a shift expected “in a decade or so.” Until then, the growing pool of older adults, combined with declining birth rates, could increase demand for welfare support for single seniors across the region.

CNN