AZE.US
Azerbaijan registered 3,376 divorces in the first two months of 2026, according to statistics cited in a local television report, as concern grows over the pace at which marriages are breaking down in the country.
The figure covers January and February and translates into roughly two divorces per 1,000 people, the report said. It described the rate as one of the highest seen in decades.
The discussion comes as the number of marriages is also falling, deepening concern that the country is facing not just a short-term fluctuation but a broader strain on family stability.
People interviewed in the report pointed to a familiar mix of causes: financial stress, constant phone use, the influence of social media, interference by third parties and a growing inability of couples to resolve conflict inside the home.
Sociologists cited in the segment said economic pressure is only part of the problem. They argued that many families also suffer from a lack of patience, understanding and communication, turning ordinary tensions into irreversible disputes.
Some experts also singled out social platforms as a destabilizing factor, saying they have made contact with outsiders easier and, in some cases, reinforced the belief that life after divorce will be simpler and more comfortable.
Rafiq Mahmudov, a senior adviser at Azerbaijan’s State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, said more work is needed to prevent family breakdowns before they reach the courtroom. He called for wider use of professional psychologists and more active efforts to improve communication within families.
He also said people should spend less time absorbed in social platforms and more time in direct interaction, arguing that online behavior has become one of the factors contributing to marital conflict.
The report noted that the lowest divorce rate in Azerbaijan was recorded in 1945, when there were just 0.1 divorces per 1,000 people. It also said the current level is above the European Union average of 1.6 per 1,000.
For a country where the family has long been treated as a social cornerstone, the new figures are likely to intensify debate over whether the problem is primarily economic, cultural or increasingly rooted in how people now live and communicate.
AZE.US