Although the figures of divorces reflect a persistent reality, the province Altagracia continues to show a clear inclination towards marriage. In the last five years, for every divorce registered, more than three couples decided to formalize their union, according to data from the Civil Registry Observatory of the Central Electoral Board (JCE).
Between 2021 and 2025in the province they were counted 3,224 divorcesin front of 10,752 marriagesa difference that shows that, despite social, economic and cultural changes, marriage continues to have a significant weight in the lives of Altagracians. These figures are recorded in a province with tourism weddingwhich also influences.
Divorces: stability with slight variations
The behavior of the divorces in Altagracia has remained relatively stable during the five-year period analyzed, with a slight decrease in 2025. That year 604 were registered divorcesa figure lower than the 608 in 2024, 665 in 2023, 680 in 2022 and 667 in 2021.
Higuey continues to concentrate the greatest number of separations, with 550 divorces in 2025followed by Verón–Punta Cana with 40 and San Rafael del Yuma with 14, a trend that is consistently repeated in previous years and is related to the population and administrative weight of the head municipality.
A revealing element is the cause of the breakups. He mutual consent widely dominates the panorama. only in 2025398 divorces in Higuey34 in Verón–Punta Cana and 13 in San Rafael del Yuma were produced under this modality, far surpassing the incompatibility of characters and other causes. This trend has continued since 2021, suggesting separations less conflictive and more consensual processes.
Marriages: figures that exceed the separations
In contrast, the marriages maintain a clear advantage over the divorces. only in 2025 were celebrated 1,955 marriagesmore than three times the number of divorces of the same year. Although this figure is lower than that registered in 2024 (2,182) and 2023 (2,344), it is still higher than that of 2021 (1,945).
Higuey topped the statistics again with 871 marriages in 2025followed by Verón–Punta Cana with 910, a reflection of the social dynamism of the tourist center, and San Rafael del Yuma with 174. As for the modality, the civil marriage predominates widely, although the canonical ones maintain a relevant presence, especially in Verón–Punta Cana.
Further wedding that divorces
The general balance of the last five years offers a clear reading: while the divorces average around 645 cases annually, marriages exceed 2,100 per year. This relationship confirms that, even with the challenges that life as a couple faces, Altagracia continues to bet more on union than separation.
The figures, beyond the numbers, draw a province in constant social transformationwhere relationships evolve, but marriage continues to be a majority option compared to divorce.
Lara Rodríguez: “We never think about divorce, but about how to resolve it”
For Lara Rodriguezwho got married in 2021, the decision to get married was marked, first of all, by the love. “Obviously we fell in love, and you know that the love always leads you to have the security of taking steps as important as the marriage seal,” he expressed.
Added to this motivation was the faith. “We are believers in Word of God and we try to obey their statutes reflected in the Bible, especially in the New Testament,” he explained. Also influential was the conviction that both had compatible qualities and the conscious decision to never consider divorce as an option, but to face any eventuality by seeking solutions.
Five years later, Lara defines the marriage commitment as “a mutual agreement based on the I respecthe love and the responsibility“, which requires daily effort and the understanding that sharing life implies the same rights and duties.
For her, building a life project together means thinking and planning the future as a couple: sharing goals, values, making important decisions, managing work, money and the possibility of starting a family, while continuing to support each other in personal dreams.
Rosaura Ricardo (fictitious name): divorce as learning
Looking back on your experience, Rosaura Ricardo considers that the divorce left him profound learnings, especially about love self, limits and communication. “I understood that it is not enough to love or do it for your children; it is also necessary to know how to live together, respect each other and grow together,” he expressed. For her, closing a cycle does not always represent a failure, but, sometimes, an act of courage and responsibility staff.
In his case, the mutual consent was key to making the process healthier and less painful. Although the decision was difficult, the recognition that the relationship was no longer working allowed for a more respectful separation, with fewer conflicts and greater willingness to dialogueprioritizing the dignity of both parties and the emotional well-being of the children.
After the divorce, his vision of marriage changed. He no longer idealizes it as a goal in itself, but as a daily construction based on commitmentcommunication and I respect mutual. “Today I understand that a healthy relationship It is not sustained by appearances, but by the emotional balance and the will to grow together,” he stated, emphasizing that happiness does not depend on a document, but on the commitment real with the person you love.
La Altagracia shows a complex reality: more marriages than divorces, mostly consensual separations and profound social transformations. Between faith, autonomy, migration and new models of coexistence, the province continues to debate between the permanence of commitment and the redefinition of couple relationships in the 21st century.
religious stance
For him priest Jorge Dionel Hernándezthe rise of divorce mutual consent It responds, in part, to the fact that legally it is a less tedious process. However, from the pastoral vision of the Church, this phenomenon reveals a crisis in the understanding of marriage as a stable and definitive alliance.
Understand that today’s culture privileges individual well-being and immediate personal fulfillment, weakening the sense of commitment and mutual sacrifice. “When the sense of responsibility and the common good, the family, which is the basis of society, also suffers,” he said, also pointing out the lack of a faith solid and pastoral accompaniment as factors that affect ruptures.
- However, the priest interprets with hope the fact that the marriages surpass the divorces. In his opinion, this shows that many people continue to recognize the value of marriage as the foundation of family and social coexistenceeven in contexts of fragility and cultural changes.
Regarding the preparation of couples, he acknowledged that it is not always enough. In many cases, there is a lack of in-depth training in fidelity, dialogue and love Christian. For this reason, he affirmed that the mission of the Church is to accompany, form and support spouses through a marriage pastoral constant, that helps to live marriage as a vocation and service to the common good.
Social analysis: migrationautonomy and new dynamics
For him Sociologist Wilson Castillothere is no single cause that explains the behavior of marriages and divorces in Altagracia. He pointed out that it is a province with high migration internal and external, and with high levels of employment, especially among women.
He explained that many young women migrate from other provinces to Higuey in search of work, leaving their partners in their places of origin, which generates deterioration of relationships. At the same time, these women acquire greater economic autonomywhich increases your ability to make decisions about your personal and relationship life.
Castillo also highlighted the impact of tourism and the migration circular, which has increased the multiethnic marriages between Dominicans and foreigners. In his analysis, the combination of migrationfemale autonomy and new networks affective explains both the increase in marriages as of divorces in the province.
