Rome, Italy, May 24, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Divorce is on the rise in Europe’s three mostly Catholic countries, namely Italy, Portugal and Spain, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Portugal has registered the highest increase in divorce rates in the last decade, according to a new study by the Hertfelder's Institute for Family Policies, a nongovernmental organization based in Madrid.
In Portugal, divorces rose 89 percent from 1995 to 2004, and 62 percent in Italy and 59 percent in Spain for that same period. Germany and Britain have the highest rates of divorce.
The study’s director, Eduardo Hertfelder, says marriage in Europe is in crisis. Southern Europe has lagged behind the north in legislation and programs that assist the family. Women get little support in the workplace, for example, placing stress on marriages.