Here’s what evidence from official data and research actually shows about the idea that murders related to divorce are increasing — the picture is more complex than the narrative that “divorce-related murder is rising everywhere”:
📊 1. Domestic homicide (including after separation/divorce) is a real risk — but not clearly rising overall
- In England and Wales, there were 108 domestic homicides in the year ending March 2024, and about 66 of those were by a partner or ex-partner — roughly similar to 2023 figures, not a clear increase year-on-year.
- This type of data doesn’t show a surge linked to divorce specifically — just that partner/ex-partner killings remain a significant portion of domestic homicide.
⚠️ 2. Post-separation / divorce violence is a documented danger
- Research shows that leaving an abusive partner can be the period of highest risk for serious violence and homicide for women. One UK analysis found that about 41% of women killed by partners or ex-partners had separated or taken steps to separate, with a high-risk timeline in the first year after separation.
- This does not mean divorce causes murder — but rather that the process of leaving, especially in abusive relationships, can be extremely dangerous.
📉 3. Not all homicide trends are increasing
- For example, in London as of early 2026, the overall murder rate dropped to its lowest in more than a decade.
- So there is no universal rising murder trend that can be directly tied to divorce.
📍 4. Complex factors contribute
- Studies (like one from the NBER) on long-term data show that changes in divorce law affect violence and wellbeing in different ways — sometimes reducing suicide in women and not uniformly increasing homicide.
- Other research links policy barriers to divorce (like inability to finalize while pregnant) with higher risks of homicide in some settings — showing that legal and social contexts matter.
🧠 So what does this mean?
✔️ Partner/ex-partner homicide remains a significant public safety issue — especially around separation or divorce in abusive relationships.
✔️ The risk of violence can increase around the time of divorce for some individuals, but the data doesn’t show a simple global trend of “more murders because of divorce.”
✔️ Factors like domestic abuse, legal barriers, economic stress, and access to weapons are part of the context — not just divorce itself.
📌 Key takeaway
Rather than divorce causing more murders, what the research and official statistics suggest is that violence around the time of separation is a serious danger for some people, especially in abusive relationships and where protective systems fail. Effective prevention depends on support, legal protection, and early intervention — not myths about divorce itself inevitably driving homicide rates.
