Turkish, Moroccan, Dutch relationships equally stable

The study focused on the share of married and unmarried couples who started cohabiting in 2013 but had divorced by the end of 2015. The study revealed that nearly three-quarters of couples with both partners having an either Turkish or Moroccan migration background are still staying together after twelve years. This share is equal among native Dutch couples. The divorce rate is considerably higher among couples with both partners of Surinamese or Antillean descent; after twelve years, around half had separated.

Mixed ethnicity relationships less stable

Marriages between Dutch partners most stable

The number of marriages that are still intact after eight years was studied as well. The findings showed that marriages between two Dutch partners are the most most stable ones: 13 percent had obtained a divorce in the first eight years of marriage. Of the married couples including two Turkish or two Moroccan partners, 19 percent had separated after the same duration of marriage. Marriages between a Moroccan or Turkish male partner and a Dutch female partner are the least stable. After eight years, 44 percent of these marriages had been dissolved.