The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) on Wednesday released the Namibia 2023 Population and Housing Census Regional Profile on the Khomas region.
In the report, the NSA reported a total of 4 835 divorced individuals in the region, representing 1 747 men and 3 088 women.
Questions emerged over why there is a difference in percentage between men and women when divorce involves both genders.
Below, NSA statisticians explain the methodology and calculations used in compiling these figures.
“The figures for divorced males and females do not necessarily have to be equal.
The census captures individual current marital status at the time of enumeration, meaning each person is counted once according to their present status.
“The “divorced” category, therefore, reflects the number of persons who reported that they were divorced at the time of the census and not the number of divorce events.
It does not count how many times a person may have divorced; even if someone divorced more than once, they are recorded only once under “divorced.”
“Differences between the number of divorced males and females can arise due to several factors, such as:
“Differential remarriage patterns (for example, one sex may remarry more quickly and, therefore, no longer be classified as divorced), migration patterns, mortality differences, reporting patterns.
“Therefore, the figures represent the current stock of divorced persons, not the total number of divorces that have occurred, and not repeated divorce events.
“The figure of 4 835 divorced persons (1 747 males and 3 088 females) is derived from the current marital status as reported by respondents during the census data collection.
Individuals were asked to state their present marital status (e.g., never married, married with certificate, married traditionally, divorced, widowed, etc.).
“The category “married with certificate”, including the approximately 33 000 women, is also part of this same current marital status classification in the census.
This means it reflects respondents who were legally married at the time of enumeration.
“However, the divorce figures are not calculated from the number of marriage certificates issued.
Rather, they represent individuals who reported that they were divorced at the time of the census.
Both “married with certificate” and “divorced” are separate categories within the same marital status variable.”
In summary:
“Marriage with a certificate is one of the current marital status categories captured in the census.
Divorce is another distinct current marital status category. The divorce figures are not derived from the number of marriage certificates issued.”
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