Belgian divorce rate unfettered by presence of children

Children are involved in two out of three divorce cases in Belgium, writes De Standaard. This is less often the case in neighbouring countries France, Germany and the Netherlands, where children are often an inhibiting factor when divorce is considered.

In Germany, one out of two divorces involves children, compared to two out of five in France. Children in these countries can therefore be seen as playing an inhibiting role in keeping the divorce rates down, writes the newspaper.

Belgium also has the highest proportion of single-parent families: 12%, compared to just 6% in the Netherlands and Germany, and about 8% in France.