Israel’s Rabbinical Courts’ Report for 2024 reveals a significant rise in divorce rates in 2024, with 11,542 couples divorcing, an increase of about 6.5% compared to 10,838 divorces in 2023.
Israel’s capital leads in terms of absolute numbers with 692 divorces, though it is in fact a 4% drop from 2023. Tel Aviv saw a significant increase of 15%, with 461 divorces.
Cities that saw particularly high increases were Beit Shemesh (45%), Kiryat Gat (45%), Holon (24%), Ashkelon (31%) and Ramat Gan (18%).
Other cities that also saw increases were Rishon Lezion (6%), Ashdod (11%) and Beersheva (9%).
The number of divorce cases opened in the rabbinical courts rose to 113,179 in 2024, compared to 102,901 the year prior. Joint applications for divorce grew by 11%, reaching 5,099 cases.
There were some positive figures in the report. A special unit dealing with agunot, or “chained women,” obtained divorce certificates for 221 women.
Agunot are women whose husbands have disappeared. According to Jewish law, these women can’t remarry as it is not known whether their husbands are still alive or not. Traditionally, such men were lost at sea or on long journeys.
Also on a positive note, rabbinical courts finalized over 99% of the divorce cases.
But there are still cases of refusals—specifically, men who refuse to grant their spouses a divorce. There were 67 as of January 2025, less than 0.5% of the number of divorce cases opened between 2021 and 2024.
Efforts to force these men to divorce have been taken, including restrictions on their ability to leave the country.
