Poor communication and finances are the main causes of rising divorce rates, while children create the greatest problems after separation

The number of divorces in the Western Balkans has been increasing in recent years, with Kosovo and Albania leading this unfavorable trend. In Serbia, unlike in previous years, the number of divorces fell by 4.4 percent in 2025. However, the number of marriages also declined, leaving little cause for optimism. Experts believe that there are numerous causes, but economic and emotional factors are the most prominent, including financial hardship, poor communication, and unmet expectations.

Written by: Katarina Saicic

According to the latest data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, 10,148 marriages ended in divorce in Serbia in 2025, which was 4.4 percent fewer than in the previous year. The number of divorces per 1,000 inhabitants was 1.5. The average age of men at the time of divorce was 45.6, while the average age of women was 42.1.

The majority of dissolved marriages involved children, accounting for 5,318 cases, or 52.4 percent. Among divorced couples with children, those with one child were the most numerous, accounting for 2,647 cases, or 49.8 percent. Following divorce, dependent children were most often placed in the custody of their mothers, as was the case in 3,487 divorces, or 65.6 percent. The average duration of marriages ending in divorce in 2025 was 13.9 years.

More than 80 percent of marriages in Serbia are ethnically homogeneous

On the other hand, 29,402 marriages were concluded in Serbia in 2025, representing a decline of 3.2 percent compared with the previous year. The number of marriages per 1,000 inhabitants was 4.5. The average age at marriage was 34.4 for grooms and 31.4 for brides.

Ethnically homogeneous marriages, meaning marriages between spouses of the same ethnicity, were the most common, accounting for 24,258 marriages, or 82.5 percent.

“Men and women are marrying later, but they are also divorcing later. The average age difference between spouses is three years, with men most often being older than women in both marriages and divorces,” the report of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia stated.

Marriages in Kosovo mostly last between five and nine years

Kosovo recorded an increase in the number of divorces in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to data from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics. A total of 2,192 divorces were reported and registered last year, 46 more than in 2024, when 2,146 divorces were recorded.

This represents an increase of 2.1 percent.

With regard to the duration of marriages before divorce, the largest number lasted between five and nine years, with 627 cases, representing 28.6 percent of all divorces. Couples who had been married for between 10 and 14 years divorced in 297 cases, or 13.5 percent of the total.

Among women, the highest number of divorces was recorded in the 25-to-29 age group, with 463 cases, accounting for 21.1 percent of all divorces.

Albania is experiencing significant demographic and social changes characterized by a historic decline in the number of marriages and a simultaneous rise in the divorce rate. According to the latest data from the Albanian Institute of Statistics, INSTAT, the country is facing a situation in which approximately one in four marriages ends in divorce.

Around 16,120 marriages were concluded in 2024, representing a decline of 7.7 percent compared with the previous year, while the number of divorces ranged between 4,100 and 4,800. This means that there were approximately 25 divorces for every 100 marriages, the highest level recorded in the past five years.

With a rate that reached 2.1 divorces per 1,000 inhabitants during certain periods, Albania stands above the European average of approximately 1.6 and ranks among the countries with the highest divorce rates in the region and in Europe.

The main drivers of this trend in Albania are the mass emigration of young people, which reduces the number of potential marriages and separates couples, high living costs and low wages, as well as the growing economic independence of women in urban areas, which makes them more likely to leave dysfunctional marriages.

Serbia: Poor communication is the leading cause of divorce

Belgrade psychologist Andjelija Nesic explained that the leading reasons for the rising number of divorces are primarily poor communication between partners, as well as numerous economic and social factors.

According to her, it is difficult to identify a single cause of divorce.

“It is often a combination of several factors. These may include economic reasons in the context of financial instability, when couples focus on securing their livelihood instead of working on their relationship. This results in a lack of patience and emotional regulation between partners. The reasons may also be social, involving the overlap between traditional expectations and an individualistic system of values. They may also be emotional, because marriage today is regarded as a place for personal growth and development, where mutual affection and emotional stability are important, meaning that it is no longer exclusively an economic partnership,” Nesic told Kosovo Online.

She said that couples frequently seek psychotherapy because of poor communication, which is generally characterized by accusations, attempts to identify who is to blame, the silent treatment, passive aggression, and the inability of partners to understand and listen to one another.

“Another leading cause is a couple’s failure to place their new family ahead of their families of origin. In our region in particular, men often have difficulty separating appropriately from their primary families, making it difficult to establish adequate intimacy between partners. Disagreements over parenting styles are also common, as are emotional coldness and growing distance between partners,” Nesic said.

She noted that many problems may arise after divorce, but emphasized that couples therapy should not be considered successful only when partners remain together.

“In such cases, couples therapy becomes divorce therapy, whose aim is to ensure a peaceful separation during which all family members, especially the children, do not suffer major negative consequences from their parents’ divorce. The therapist’s objective is not to influence whether the couple will remain together or divorce, but to help them resolve their conflict. Conflict resolution may also involve establishing good communication and divorcing without confrontation,” the psychologist said.

However, when a couple has children, the greatest challenges are co-parenting and clearly defining roles within the parental system.

“When there is unresolved conflict between the partners, children may experience divided loyalty, meaning that the child feels compelled to take the side of one parent or the other, which creates confusion. Most commonly, one parent becomes overburdened with the child’s daily care, while the other becomes a so-called ‘weekend parent.’ Another particularly challenging moment is introducing the children to one parent’s new partner and adapting to a blended family. It is important to remember that the children’s ability to cope is the most important consideration and that their well-being must take priority over the emotional hurt of the former partners,” Nesic concluded.

Kosovo: Financial hardship among the key causes of divorce

Sociologist Jeton Brajshori assessed that divorce is becoming increasingly common in Kosovo and cannot be explained by a single cause. Instead, it results from a combination of economic, social, and emotional factors that jointly affect family stability.

Brajshori told Kosovo Online that, from an economic perspective, unemployment, low incomes, job insecurity, and financial pressure frequently cause conflicts between partners.

“Many young married couples face difficulties in securing basic living conditions, which places additional strain on marital relations. Social factors also play a significant role. Kosovo is undergoing a process of modernization and a transformation of traditional family values. Women today have higher levels of education, greater economic independence, and are more willing to leave marriages involving violence, psychological abuse, or prolonged dissatisfaction. At the same time, partners’ expectations of marriage have changed, with greater emphasis now placed on mutual respect, equality, and emotional support,” Brajshori said.

He added that emotional reasons frequently serve as the immediate trigger for divorce.

“A lack of communication, loss of trust, infidelity, jealousy, domestic violence, and prolonged conflict contribute to the breakdown of marital relations. Divorce is therefore usually the result of the interaction of economic, social, and emotional factors, rather than the consequence of a single problem,” he explained.

When it comes to problems following divorce, he said they are numerous and affect former spouses and children alike.

“One of the most common problems in Kosovo is the failure to pay child support. When one parent does not fulfil their legal obligation, the other parent, most often the mother, is left to bear the financial burden of raising the children alone. This can lead to poverty, social exclusion, and limited opportunities for the children’s education and development. Another serious problem is the deterioration of the relationship between children and the parent who does not live with them. If parents use their children as instruments in their disputes or expose them to conflict, the consequences may be long-lasting. Children often develop feelings of insecurity, anxiety, sadness, and even difficulties with learning and socialization,” Brajshori said.

He stressed that divorce also changes family dynamics.

“Family members must adjust to new living circumstances, changes in everyday responsibilities, and new parental roles. In some cases, the extended family becomes distant, or additional disputes arise over custody and the division of property. It is important to emphasize that divorce itself is not always the most harmful option. In families affected by violence or constant conflict, divorce can provide protection for children and create a healthier environment for their development. The key challenge is not divorce itself, but the way in which parents continue to cooperate afterward and how successfully they place the child’s interests above their mutual disagreements,” Brajshori concluded.

North Macedonia: Emotional unavailability is the most common cause of divorce

Skopje psychologist Katerina Dimova Mitulja assessed that emotional unavailability between partners is the most common cause of divorce in the region.

In a statement to Kosovo Online, she said that the entire region is experiencing a trend of increasingly frequent divorces, something she has also observed in her own practice.

“Of every five clients, at least two are dealing with divorce. The reasons I most frequently observe are emotional unavailability, lack of communication, social pressure concerning what a marriage should look like, and differing expectations between partners. Financial and economic factors certainly play a role, but from an emotional perspective, the main cause of divorce is the emotional distancing of partners over a period of years. It does not happen overnight, but after five to eight years,” Dimova Mitulja said.

She added that divorce is considerably more difficult when the separating partners have children.

“When working with clients, we are often also in contact with their lawyers, for example, and we can see that court proceedings concerning child support are extremely lengthy and exhausting for both the parents and the children. Emotional problems and difficulties also arise. In terms of stress, divorce is the second most difficult life event after the death of a partner. Anxiety, depression, sadness, fear, and anger occur. All of these stages are entirely normal, but I would say that they can be overcome with appropriate professional assistance and a support system for the person going through the divorce,” the psychologist concluded.

Albania: Emigration is one of the causes

Tirana-based lawyer Fran Dashi said that the increase in the number of divorces is caused by numerous factors, one of which is emigration, particularly in cases where the husband emigrates to a European country while the wife and children remain in Albania.

“Based on what we as lawyers have observed, the causes of divorce are primarily emigration, in cases where the husband emigrates to a European country while the wife and children remain in Albania. Economic problems and poverty in our country undoubtedly also influence divorce, as does jealousy between partners, which leads to separation. In Albania, there are divorces by mutual consent, meaning divorces concluded with the agreement of both spouses, but there are also divorces in which problems arise during court hearings. In many cases we have encountered before the courts, the main problem concerns the upbringing and education of children. Another problem is determining child support, although the law provides that children under the age of 14 cannot be placed in the father’s custody. Even if the father owns property, businesses, and a house, the law provides that a child under the age of 14 should be placed in the mother’s custody because, at that age, the child needs the mother’s presence more than the father’s care. There are many cases in which fathers even refuse to pay child support,” Dashi said.

He stated that the greatest problem in Albania is that divorce proceedings before the courts sometimes last two or three years.

“In the end, the court issues a decision and orders that child support be paid retroactively from the date on which the lawsuit was filed. In such cases, neither the claimant nor the defendant is responsible for the court taking two or three years to issue its decision. A divorce judgment could be delivered within three months. Even more alarming is the fact that the losing party appeals to the Court of Appeal, which may take up to five years to issue a ruling in civil divorce proceedings,” Dashi said.

He added that the number of divorces is increasing and that even couples who have been married for decades are now separating.

“We have divorces involving couples who have been married for 20 or 30 years, and there have even been cases involving people who separated after 40 years of marriage. There are several reasons, but we must not forget that some marriages also involve physical violence. There are cases in which a seven- or eight-year-old child who has been placed in the mother’s custody refuses to meet the father. That is a problem. Mothers sometimes say that the child does not want to see the father, but the court judgment provides that the father has the right to see his child. Mothers must therefore act honestly and work on persuading the child to meet the father. Otherwise, the law also provides for penalties, and anyone who obstructs the enforcement of court decisions may face criminal prosecution. We in Albania are deeply concerned about these problems, but we have not yet found a solution. Legislative solutions are needed. I believe that courts should have specialized divorce divisions so that proceedings can be concluded as quickly as possible, because delays create major problems for children under the age of 14,” the lawyer concluded.