Divided by globalization? The impact of globalization on divorce rates across 120 countries

This study examines the impact of globalization on divorce rates using panel data from 120 countries between 1970 and 2017. Drawing on Ulrich Beck’s risk society framework, it explores how globalization promotes individual autonomy and adaptive life choices while amplifying social and emotional uncertainties, destabilizing traditional family structures. Using a one‑way fixed‑effects model with country‑clustered standard errors, supplemented by robustness checks, the analysis considers economic, social, and political dimensions of globalization. The results show that social globalization has the strongest association with rising divorce rates, as cultural diffusion enhances individual autonomy, gender equality, and freedom of choice. Economic globalization also contributes by altering labor structures and household interdependence, while political globalization—through expanded personal rights—reinforces these effects more modestly. Globalization’s impact is greater in developed and Western societies, where greater financial independence and individualistic values facilitate marital dissolution. The implications, limitations, and future research directions are also discussed.