Iraq Sees Nine Divorces an Hour, Rights Center Warns

Iraq’s divorce rate has risen again, with the Strategic Human Rights Center warning that the country recorded 6,628 separation cases in federal courts nationwide, equivalent to about nine divorces an hour. The trend, highlighted in April 2026 by Deputy Head Hazim er-Ridini, has renewed concern over the social pressures driving family breakdown. The center said poverty, unemployment, the misuse of social media, drugs and domestic violence are the main factors behind the increase. It urged the government to adopt a comprehensive five-year strategy to confront the problem. The center also called for awareness programs to be implemented in Baghdad and Basra, two of the areas with the highest recorded caseloads. Baghdad ranked first with 2,665 cases. Basra came second with 611 cases, underscoring the concentration of family-law cases in Iraq’s largest urban centers. The center said the figures reflect a wider social challenge that requires coordinated state intervention.