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DIVORCE ANALYSIS

Project on Tableau

This project is an in-depth, data-driven exploration of global divorce patterns between 2000 and 2025, focusing on five key regions: Kenya, USA, Canada, UK, and other East African countries. Using Tableau, I designed an interactive dashboard to visualize and analyze how divorce rates have changed over time and how they compare across different cultural and economic contexts. I chose to analyze divorce rates because marriage and divorce reflect deep social, cultural, and economic dynamics within a society. Divorce statistics often carry more meaning than just numbers, they reveal shifting values, legal changes, economic pressure, and family structures across different countries. Additionally, this topic allowed me to work with real-world, multi-country data, practice time series and regional comparisons, apply data analysis to a socially relevant issue, and visualize how global trends affect personal relationships. As a beginner in data analytics, I wanted a topic that was both meaningful and manageable, and divorce rates struck a perfect balance between complexity and clarity. 📊 About the Data The dataset includes: Divorce rates (% per 1,000 people or marriages) Total number of marriages Total population Calculated values like the total number of divorces (derived from divorce rate × population) Regions were manually assigned to group countries geographically Years covered: 2000–2025 Countries/Regions: Kenya, USA, Canada, UK, and East Africa (e.g., Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda) 📈 What the Dashboard Shows The dashboard includes several interactive visuals: Line chart of divorce rate trends over time per country Bar chart comparing countries in a selected year Map view to visually contrast regions Filters by year, country, and region for custom exploration

Key Findings 

  • The USA and the UK consistently have the highest divorce rates (above 2.5%–3.0%).

  • Kenya and East African countries show very low divorce rates (below 1%), but they gradually increase after 2010.

  • Canada shows a slight decline in divorce rates post-2010, possibly reflecting social or legal reforms.

  • Population growth affects total divorce counts: While rates may be low, total divorces increase in countries with fast-growing populations like Kenya. 

Insights

  • Cultural and legal frameworks heavily influence divorce visibility. In East Africa, divorce is culturally sensitive and legally more complex, likely leading to underreporting.

  • Economic factors and social liberalism correlate with higher divorce rates in developed countries (e.g., USA, UK), where divorce is more normalized and accessible.

  • Rising trends in East Africa may reflect changing societal norms, urbanization, and increased legal access.

  • The total number of divorces increases over time in nearly all countries, even when the rate appears stable or declining, because of population growth.

Recommendations

  1. For Governments in Emerging Regions (e.g., Kenya, Tanzania):

    • Invest in relationship education, family counseling, and legal awareness programs.

    • Improve divorce data collection to enable more accurate tracking and policy-making.

  2. For Developed Countries (USA, UK):

    • Encourage support services for couples and families, especially during crises (e.g., economic downturns, pandemics).

    • Use data to analyze long-term societal effects of divorce on children and communities.

  3. General Recommendations:

    • Promote premarital counseling and conflict resolution education in both developing and developed countries.

    • Tailor public campaigns and legal frameworks to the cultural norms and socioeconomic contexts of each region.

Image by Anthony Tran
Conclusion

  • This dashboard reveals clear disparities in divorce trends across different regions, influenced by cultural, legal, and economic factors. While the USA, UK, and Canada experience high but relatively stable divorce rates, East African nations show a slow upward trend, signaling social change.

  • Population growth drives the total number of divorces upward globally, even where rates are stable. Therefore, policymakers and social institutions must prepare not just for today's figures, but for tomorrow's realities.

  • This analysis demonstrates how data visualization can help surface patterns, provoke thoughtful questions, and drive better decision-making across societies.

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