Minister Of Religion Claims Divorce And Early Marriage Rates Have Decreased Since 2022

Minister of Religion (Menag) Nasaruddin Umar, claims the divorce rate in Indonesia has decreased in the last two years.

According to him, this trend cannot be separated from the effectiveness of the marriage guidance program (bimwin) for brides and grooms, which is now a mandatory program before marriage.

"The decline of 2 consecutive years coincided with an increase in the coverage of the implementation of equitable marriage guidance throughout Indonesia," said Nasaruddin during a working meeting of Commission VIII DPR at the DPR Building, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, November 11.

Nasaruddin explained that the bimwin program focuses on strengthening the mental, spiritual, and social readiness of couples before entering a household life that is directed to form a sakinah, mawaddah, and warahmah family.

He also explained data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) which showed the number of national divorce cases in 2023 reached 463,654 cases, down 10.2 percent compared to the previous year. That figure again decreased in 2024 to 394,608 cases, or decreased by 14.9 percent from 2023.

"This indicates a positive correlation between the obligation to follow guidance and a decrease in the divorce rate," he said.

Nasaruddin continued, the results of the field evaluation of the Ministry of Religion noted that 86 percent of bimwin participants felt the program helped them understand the dynamics of household life. "As well as increasing communication capabilities and resolving family conflicts since the beginning of the marriage," he continued.

Minister of Religion Nasaruddin also stated that the number of early marriages or couples under the age of 19 had decreased since 2022. According to him, the decline occurred due to a 15-19 year old youth patrol program carried out through educational activities based on Islamic values in schools and Islamic boarding schools.

"Based on data from the Ministry of Religion in 2022, 8,804 couples under the age of 19 got married. Then in 2023 it fell to 5,489 couples. In 2024 it fell again to 4,150 couples," said Nasaruddin.

Nasaruddin revealed, until the end of 2025, it was recorded that 64,723 teenagers had participated in this program. He assessed that the juvenile confidentiality guidance program has proven effective in preventing early marriage.

Menag juga mengatakan program tersebut terbukti dapat meningkatkan kesadaran generasi muda tentang pentingnya kesiapan berumah tangga secara lahir dan batin.

The Minister of Religion also said that the program has proven to increase awareness of the younger generation about the importance of being married physically and mentally.

"With this downward trend of more than 52 percent, in two years it is projected to decrease to 70-75 percent by the end of 2025," said Nasaruddin.