Brazilian divorces surge by 46%

The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said the number of divorces in Brazil hit 351,153 in 2011, up 45.6 percent from 2010.

As a result, the country's divorce rate reached 2.6 divorces per 1,000 inhabitants, the highest since 1984, IBGE said.

New procedures introduced in 2010 mean getting divorced is significantly faster and less complicated, especially for couples without children or disputable assets.

The number of weddings in 2011 was 1,026,736, up 5 percent on 2010. The number is expected to continue rising in 2012 as Brazil legalized same-sex marriages in 2011, according to the IBGE.