The Civil Register Statistics show that, between 2004 and 2005, the divorce rate in Brazil increased from 1,2 to 1,3 for 1,000 thousand persons 20 years of age or over, and it has reached its peak since 1995. On the other hand, there was also increase of the number of marriages in which one of the spouses was divorced. The survey also shows the increase of the percentage of children registered, which changed from 80.6%, in 2000, to 88.5%, last year; mortality rate remains on a falling trend. The same occurs to violent deaths, especially among men. In the Southeast Region, however, there was increase of violent deaths among women (from 4%, in 2004, to 5% in 2005). The state of Rio de Janeiro still leads  the ranking of violent deaths of men between 15 and 24 years of age (227,4 deaths for100 thousand inhabitants) and Amazonas had the highest increase of this type of death between 2004 and 2005 (45%).

In 2005, a total of 835,846 marriages were solemnized in Brazil, that is, 3.6% more than in 2004 (806,968). The increase follows a tendency observed since 2001 and results, partially, from the legalization of consensual unions. Collective marriages have taken place in several Federative Units (EFs), as a result of partnerships among city governments, register offices and churches. Besides that, the economical stability favors the increase of marriages. December, as observed in the last three decades, is still the month when most marriages are solemnized.

Considering the calculation of nuptiality rate¹ in 2005, 6.3‰, there was slight increase of the ratio marriages/population, in comparison with 2004 (6.2‰). In 1995, the nuptiality rate was 6.8‰. Among women, in 2005, the highest nuptiality rate occurred in the age group between 20 and 25 years of age (29.8‰). Among men, the highest rate occurred in the group between 25 and 29 years of age (31‰). In Brazil, the nuptiality rates among women are higher only in the younger age groups (from 15 to 19 and from 20 to 24 years of age). In other cases, the rates for men are systematically higher: for those who are 60 years of age or over, for instance, it was 3.3‰, whereas for women in the same age group, it was extremely lower (0.8‰).

From the total number of marriages solemnized in 2005, 85.9% were between single spouses, a percentage slightly lower than in 2004 (86.4%). Comparing the data in the period 1995-2005, there was a tendency to continuous decrease of marriage between single perosns, with little deceleration in 2003.

The legal unions between single and divorced persons also increased. From 1995 to 2005, the percentage of single women who married divorced men changed from 4.1% to 6.2%, whereas the percentage of divorced women who married single men changed from 1.7% to 3.1%. Marriages between divorced partners also increased from 0.9% to 2.0%.

Separations increase again; divorce rate is the highest since 1995

In 2005, the number of legal separations (100,448) was 7.4% higher than in 2004, showing a new growing trend. The divorces granted also increased: from 15.5%, in relation to 2004, changing to 130.527 to 150,714. In the North Region, there was increase of 17.8%, and in the Southeast, of 21.8%. In the Northeast (15%), in the South (5.8%), and in the Central West (2.9%) Regions, the percentages were below the national average.

In 2005, the rates of divorces¹ and of legal separations increased, respectively, from 0.8% to 0.9%, and from 1.2% to 1.3%. Considering divorce, 2005 had the highest rate since 1995.

In 2005, direct divorces (after two years of separation) were 70.3% of the overall granted. The percentage of indirect divorces (after one year of legal separation) has been decreasing gradually: in 1995 it was 31.6%; in 20005, 29.7%.

In terms of type, 76.9% of the legal separations in 2005 were consensual; 22.95 were non-consensual; 0.02% did not have their nature revealed. The Northeast Region had the highest percentage of non-consensual legal separations (35.1%), whereas in the Southeast, there were a biggest proportion of consensual separations (79%).

By evaluating legal separations and non-consensual divorces granted in 2005, it is possible to see the difference between those filing for separation. In the non-consensual legal separations, women filing for separation (72.1%) outnumbered men (26.3%). In relation to the divorces, the proportion of women fell (51.6%), and the number of files by husbands increased (48.4%). As for the guard of children, in 2005, women were the majority (91.1% in separations and 89.5% in divorces).

The average age of couples in legal separations followed the trend of last decade. For men the average ages were 38.5 years in legal separations, and 42.9 years in divorces. Among women, the average ages were 35.4 and 39.4, respectively.

Southeast is the only region in which violent deaths increase among women

Up to 2002, there was a growin tren of  violent deaths³, especially among men. Since this year, there have been indications of the beginning of a new inversion in this movement, but the figures are still high.

At national level, from 1990 to 2002, violent deaths of men increased from 14.25 to 16.2%. In 2005, this percentage was 15.5%. Among women, the figures remained practically stable throughout the period, slightly above 4%. The Central West Region had, throughout the last 15 years, the highest numbers of violent deaths among men: about 20% occurred in the 1990’s. There was reduction to 18.7%, in 2005.

The Northeast and South Regions have had the lowest percentages of violent deaths of men throughout the years, reaching, in 2005, figures slightly below 14%.

 The Southeast Region is the only one in which can be seen a tendency to increase of violent deaths among women. It has happened especially since 2003, with changes from about 4% to 5%, on average, in 2005. However, it is in the Central west that the occurrence of violent deaths among women, despite the tendency to decrease, has been higher, with an average of 8%, having reached 5.6% in 2005.

In the country as a whole, male mortality by violent deaths is 3.6 times higher than female mortality. In the South and in the Northeast, this ratio increases to 4, whereas in the Southeast and Central West Regions the values are slightly inferior to the national average. Considering the states, Pernambuco has the highest “male overmortality” (6.0). The lowest ratios are observed in areas such as Roraima (1.7) and Rondônia (1.8), figures which can be accountable to the fact that, in these states, violence is as high among men as among women.  

In 1990, about 60% of male deaths occurred in the age group between 15 and 24 years were related to violent causes. This figure increased significantly, reaching 70.2% in 2002, and decreasing to 68.7% in 2005. The phenomenon occurs in practically all the Regions, except in the South and in the Central West, where the growing trend continues. It is in the Southeast, though, that the highest percentage is observed (77.5% in 2005). 

Violence in this age group (15 to 24 years of age) started to affect women also. The proportion of violent deaths changed, at national level, from 28.9% in 1990, to 34.0% in 2002 and in 2003, remaining stable until 2005 (33.9%), with a relative increase of 17.0%.

The South Region had the highest relative increments in the period 1990/2005 (28.7%), but it is the South Region that holds the highest percentage of violent deaths among women who are 15 to 24 years of age (40%).

RJ has the highest rate of violent deaths of young men

In 2005, Rio de Janeiro still had the biggest number of violent deaths. In this state, the mortality rate among young men between 15 and 24 years of age reached the figure of 227.4 deaths for 100 thousand inhabitants, slightly above the rate in 2004 (225.0). Other high rates were those in Espírito Santo (203.2), Pernambuco (188.2), Paraná (163.2) and Mato Grosso do Sul (154.9). São Paulo, which had mortality rate of 177 deaths/100 thousand inhabitants among youths 15 to 24 years of age, reduced this figure by 22%, to 138 deaths for 100 thousand inhabitants.

Between 2004 and 2005, mortality of youths from 15 to24 years of age was reduced in most states. The exceptions were Santa Catarina (5%), Paraíba (4.2%), Goiás (2.2%) and the states of Pará, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Norte, with increases of about 1%, on average. Amazonas was the highlight due to the significant increase of mortality among young men in this specific age group (45%).

In relation to women, Espírito Santo (27.4%) had, in 2005, the highest mortality rates caused by violent deaths per group of 100 thousand inhabitants, considering the group 15 to 24 years of age. It is also important to mention the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Santa Catarina, Goiás, Paraná and Amapá, with rates above 20 deaths for 100 thousand. The lowest rates were those of Amazonas, of the states in the Northeast Region and of the Federal District, with figures below 10 deaths for 100 thousand inhabitants.

11.5% of children in Brazil are not registered

The coverage of birth registers has increased in the last few years. This improvement is a consequence not only of the reduction of fertility, but mainly of the occurrence of several measures aiming at the universalization of these registers. The estimate of coverage of birth registers changed from 80.6%, in 2000, to 88.5%, in 2005.

There was increase of 2.2% in the number of registers in 2005, in comparison with 2004. The increase was more significant in the North and Northeast Regions (9.4% and 5.1%, respectively). The South (-0.5%) and the Southeast Regions (-0.6%) have faced decrease of the absolute number of births registered.

The under registration of births is distributed in an uneven way, being the highest percentages observed those in the Federative Units in the North and Northeast Regions. In 2005, the under registration estimated for the country was 11.5%, which meant approximately 374,540 children without their birth certificate. Among the Federative Units, the highest percentages were those of Roraima (37.1%), Amapá (32.1%) and Pará (31.5%). On the other hand, the lowest levels of under registration occurred in the Federal District (-1.8%), in São Paulo (1.8%) and in Rio Grande do Sul (3.1%).

Several kinds of factors account for under registration: socio-economic, socio-cultural and those related to difficulty of access to register offices in some areas, either because of the long distance to be traveled, or because of physical characteristics of the place (uneven relief, muddy areas etc). There are also political-institutional factors, such as the lack of inspection by authorities responsible for the registration; the non-existence, in most municipalities, of a system for the protection of children , the absence of register offices in about 400 thousand Brazilian municipalities, among many others.

The peculiar situation in the Federal District must be understood from its socio-economical indicators, being the highlights education, household income and access to health services. The quality of health services normally attracts the population from nearby municipalities, which from then one declared to be residents of the Federal District, or even moved temporarily to this Federative Unit.

Comparing 2005 with 2004, it is possible to see that the highest percentages in terms of registration in the year were obtained by the states of Amazonas (16.4%), Tocantins (13.8%) and Maranhão (13.4%). The most significant reduction was observed in Roraima (12.2%), which can explain the increase of under registration in this Federative Unit.

The births not informed within the period considered in the survey are later included in other years as late registrations. In 2005, there were 448,554 late registrations. In 2005, there were 448,554 late registrations, 13.5% of the total of registers that year. Among these, 388,015 were registrations of children up to 12 years of age. São Paulo (2.4%), Santa Catarina (3.2%) and Paraná (3.6%) had the highest percentages of late registrations. The highest percentages occurred in Amazonas (40.5%), Pará (39.4%) and Amapá (36.2%).

In the country as a whole, after 2002, there was stabilization of the percentage (about 20%) of registrations of children of mothers under 20 years of age. In 2005, the highest percentages of these registrations occurred in Maranhão (28.8%), Tocantins (27.3%) and Pará (27.1%), whereas the lowest ones were observed in the Federal District (15.7%) and in São Paulo (16.99%).

In Brazil, 97.9% of the births registered in 2005 occurred in hospitals of health estabishments without staying services. In Acre and in Amazonas, the percentages were lower than 90%, and, in terms of births at home, they were 14.2% and 12.2%, respectively. For the country in general, concerning late registrations, there was significant increase of the number of births occurred in the household  from 1.9% to 24.8%.

Under registration of infant deaths in the country reaches 50.9%

The investigation of the total number of deaths registered in register offices in Brazil, in 2005, points to under registration of approximately 13.9%. It can be observed, however, that there have been improvements throughout the years. The highest figures were those in the North and Northeast Regions (28.5%) and 31.7%, respectively.

In relation to infant deaths (babies under 1 year of age), omission remained significantly high in 2005, in the country as a whole (50.9%), as a reflection of the highest indexes of under registration in the Northeast (69.5%) and Northeast Region (49.7%). These figures reached 70% in states such as Maranhão, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará and Alagoas. The table which follows shows the comparison between the direct calculations of infant mortality rates, obtained from the recent time series of civil register, with the estimates obtained by demographic procedures of indirect techniques. Both methodologies point to falling trends, despite their different levels.

¹Calculated by the division of the number of marriages by the number of inhabitants and the multiplication of the result by one thousand. Only the population 15 years-of-age or over was used in the calculation.

²The overall rate of legal separations is obtained by the division of the number of legal separations among the population 20 years of age or over; the divorce rate is the division of the number of divorces in the same population.

³Related to homicides, suicides, car accidents, etc.

⁴Law no. 6.015, of December 31, 1973.

⁵Number of deaths of children under one year of age for 1000 children born alive.

⁶Based on data from the Demographic Censuses and from PNAD 2004.