Marriages

Stats NZ has the latest marriage stats. Key data:

• 19,237 resident marriages – lowest level since at least 1978
• Marriage rate per 1,000 non married adults is 10.85. Was 15.49 in 2000, 22.19 in 1990, 29.35 in 1980 – so one third of 1980.
• Median age for marriage is 32.4 for men and 30.4 for women. Fir first time marrieds 30.1 for men and 28.6 for women.
• Divorces also down – 8,279 which is lowest since 1980. Divorce rate per 1,000 is 9.4
• Marriages are lasting longer – median duration of marriage that divorces is 14.2 years. Was 13.1 in 2000.
• 233 civil unions, down from 390 the year before. 74 are opposite sex and 159 same sex.
• Of 19,237 resident marriages, 19,028 are opposite sex and 209 same sex.
• Of 2,416 non-resident marriages 2,270 are opposite sex and 146 same sex