EXPLORING CIVIL REGISTRATION AND VITAL STATISTICS (CRVS) FOR MARRIAGES AND DIVORCES IN SOUTH AFRICA

Mercy Shoko, Statistics South Africa
Lesego Lefakane, Statistics South Africa
Salmon Likoko, Department of Social Development
Chido Chinogurei, University of Cape Town

Marriage and divorce are crucial elements of family formation and civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), however, CRVS systems often face inadequacies, with marriage and divorce registration receiving less attention compared to birth and death registration. This results in some marriages and divorces going unrecorded, despite the well-documented benefits of marriage registration, such as enhancing women's rights and empowerment and simplifying birth registration for children. South Africa is notable in the region for having a relatively functional CRVS system, yet research on the status of marriage and divorce registration remains limited. This paper aims to address this gap by analyzing data from the 2010 marriage cohort, tracking divorces, and examining mortality within this group. The study employs a triangulation approach, utilizing marriage records from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), divorce records from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, and marriages, divorces and mortality data from the National Population Register (NPR), which is also managed by the DHA. The objective of this study is to assess both the potential and limitations of the available marriage and divorce data. The findings are expected to provide a critical appraisal of the current system and offer insights into possible improvements.

Keywords: Civil Registration and Vital Statistics, Data and Methods, Families, Unions and Households

See extended abstract.