The economic crises in Greece is not only affecting day to day life of average citizens, but it has apparently hit the divorce "market", which has marked a large decline due to the financial cost of a legal separation.
According to figures from the City of Athens registry service, divorces have declined by 25 percent in recent years. More specifically, from a total of 1,579 divorces registered in Athens in 2006, the number started to decline in 2009 after the outbreak of the economic crisis, falling to 1,149 in 2010.
Meanwhile, the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) has recorded a drop in marriages as well, which fell from 63,997 in 1995 nationwide to 59,512 in 2009. The ration of marriages per 1,000 residents fell to 5.3 in 2009 from 7.3 in 1980 and from 9.0 in 1960. Also, 41.9 percent of couples prefer civil weddings from just 10.5 percent in 1995.
ANA