China's divorce rate in 2009 jumped 8.8 percent over 2008, increasing for the eighth consecutive year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said in a report Thursday.

About 2.47 million couples broke up in 2009 -- 199,000 couples more than the previous year, according to the ministry's report.

The ministry said the increasing divorce rate demonstrated a trend of growing self-centeredness among Chinese couples.

Compared with 2002, the divorce rate in China more than doubled, reaching 0.185 percent.

Though experts said the rising divorce rate is normal as husbands and wives are becoming more independent financially and emotionally, many were concerned that marital instability would be a problem.

Simplified marriage and divorce registration procedures in China were widely regarded as one factor for the constantly increasing figure.

It takes only 9 yuan (US$1.72) and about 10 minutes to get married at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Divorces are free.

During the annual "two sessions" meeting this March, Hei Xinwen, a deputy to the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, proposed a mandatory "cooling off" period to allow troubled couples to save their marriages.

Before 2003, a couple had to wait a month for mediation before getting divorced.

Hei blamed "too simple procedures" for the high divorce rate.

Interventions by mediators as before might prompt unhappy couples to think twice before splitting up, Hei told the Chongqing Evening News.

In Shanghai, the divorce rate has been spurred by pecuniary interests.

Because government relocation compensation was assigned to families as units, some couples managed a quick divorce to get a double dip and then remarry.

People who remarried in 2009 increased about 20 percent over 2008.

A couple in Baoshan District divorced and remarried six times last year, according to an earlier report.

(Xinhua News Agency June 11, 2010)