Gray Divorce in the Shadow of Modernization: Changing Family Dynamics in Türkiye

Selcuk Aydin (), Abdurrahim Sahin and Muhammed Bahadir
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Selcuk Aydin: Department of Sociology, Faculty of Letters, Atatürk University, Erzurum 25240, Türkiye
Abdurrahim Sahin: Department of Sociology, Faculty of Letters, Atatürk University, Erzurum 25240, Türkiye
Muhammed Bahadir: Department of General Sociology and Methodology, Graduate School of Social Sciences, Atatürk University, Erzurum 25240, Türkiye

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-15

Abstract: Gray divorce, defined as the dissolution of marriages among individuals aged 50 and above, has become an increasingly significant issue in Türkiye. Official statistics in Türkiye show that between 2001 and 2024, divorces among individuals aged 50 and above increased both in absolute numbers and as a proportion of total divorces, rising nearly threefold during this period. These increases reflect broader demographic and social changes, such as population ageing, longer life expectancy, changing expectations of marriage, and shifting gender norms. Using sociological literature on modernization and family change, as well as official statistical data, this review synthesises existing knowledge and situates gray divorce within global debates on family transformation. Findings from gray divorce studies indicate that women’s increasing autonomy, life cycle transitions such as retirement or empty nest experiences, and greater societal acceptance of divorce contribute to this trend. Furthermore, gray divorces have broad implications for intergenerational relationships, care responsibilities, and social policies. Specifically in Türkiye, regional differences show that divorce among the elderly is more prevalent in western urbanized provinces, where individualism and secular values prevail, and significantly less common in eastern regions, where traditional and religious norms are stronger. The increasing prevalence of this phenomenon highlights the need for more empirical research and policy responses that are appropriate to Türkiye’s demographic, regional, and cultural transformations.

Keywords: family; gerontology; gray divorce; modernity; Türkiye (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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