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Note the following change has been made to this document on 10/12/2004
Original text: published on 8/12/2004
In 2003 there were 106,400 marriages registered in Australia, an increase of 3,300 (3%) when compared with 2002, and the first increase in registered marriages since 1999.
Correction on 10/12/2004:
In 2003 there were 106,400 marriages registered in Australia, an increase of 960 when compared with 2002, and continuing the increase in the number of marriages since the low of 103,130 in 2001.
NOTES
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
This electronic product, Marriages, Australia 2003 (cat. no. 3306.0.55.001) provides information on marriages registered in Australia. Key indicators of marriages at the national and state level are included in the analytical commentary below. Detailed marriage tables are available for purchase in a data cube. The data cube can be accessed by scrolling to the bottom of this page and following the data cube link for 2003. A glossary of terms and explanatory notes about marriage statistics can be accessed using the web-links provided on this page.
This product replaces Marriages and Divorces, Australia (cat.no. 3310.0). Information on divorces from 2002 onwards is available in the electronic product, Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3307.0.55.001).
UNAVAILABILITY OF DATA
Post 2001 Estimated Resident Population (ERP) by marital status is not yet available.
INQUIRIES
For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.
SUMMARY COMMENTARY
REGISTERED MARRIAGES
In 2003 there were 106,400 marriages registered in Australia, an increase of 960 when compared with 2002, and continuing the increase in the number of marriages since the low of 103,130 in 2001.
Total marriages Australia - 1983-2003
While 2003 recorded an increase in the number of marriages registered, the crude marriage rate (per 1,000 of population) stabilised at 5.4, the same rate as recorded for 2002. The crude rate has continued to fall for the last two decades dropping from 7.5 in 1983 to 6.4 in 1993. Marriage rates (per 1,000 of unmarried population) have also continued to decline over the last two decades, as illustrated in the graph below. In 1983 marriage rates were 55 (males, per 1,000 of population) and 53 (females, per 1,000 of population), by 2001 this had fallen to 31 (males, per 1,000 of population) and 28 (females, per 1,000 of population).
MARRIAGE RATES(a)
MARRIAGE CELEBRANTS
The decline in the number of Australians choosing a religious celebrant for their wedding ceremony has continued. In 2003 over half of Australian marriages were presided over by civil celebrants, confirming a trend which has seen the steady growth of civil ceremonies from 39% of all marriages in 1983 to 42% in 1993 and 57% in 2003.
MARRIAGES PERFORMED BY CIVIL CELEBRANTS
AGE AT MARRIAGE
The trend towards older age at marriage continued in 2003. The median age at marriage for men was 31 years, rising from 29 years in 1993. For women the median age at marriage rose to 29 years from 26 years in 1993.
The median age at first marriage has increased for men from 27 years in 1993 to 29 years in 2003, and for women from 25 years to 27 years.
COHABITATION PRIOR TO MARRIAGE
Marriage data for 2003 confirms the thirty year trend for more Australian couples to cohabit prior to entering a registered marriage. In 1975 only 16% of couples cohabited prior to marriage, increasing to 27% in 1983, while 75% of couples cohabited prior to marriage in 2003.
In 2003 couples living in Tasmania were the most likely to cohabit before marriage (83% of all marriages) while those in New South Wales were the least likely to cohabit (70% of all marriages).
Widowed males were the least likely to have cohabited before marriage, with divorced males and females the most likely. Only 56% of widowed males and 62% of widows cohabited before marrying their partner, while the proportion of divorced males and females was 81%.
SEASONALITY OF MARRIAGE
In 1973 January, May, October and December were the most popular months for marriage.
In 2003 Australian couples were most likely to marry in March (12%) or November (12%). January weddings have continued to fall in popularity, with only 7% of weddings in 2003, compared with 10% in 1983. The winter months of June and July remain historically unpopular with less than 5% of couples choosing these months in 2003, 5% in 1993 and 6% in 1983.
FIRST MARRIAGES AND REMARRIAGES
In 2003 marriages in which neither party had been previously married comprised 66% of all marriages registered. A further 18% were first marriages for one partner and remarriage for the other, and 15% were remarriages for both partners. These proportions were similar to those recorded in 1983.
Selected marriage indicators(a), Australia - Selected years - 1983-2003 |
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| | | | 1983 | 1993 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
ALL MARRIAGES | |
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Marriages registered | no. | 114,860 | 113,255 | 110,598 | 114,316 | 113,429 | 103,130 | 105,435 | 106,394 | |
Crude marriage rate(b) | rate | 7.5 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 | |
Previous marital status | | | | | | | | | | |
| First marriage both partners | no. | 77,762 | 75,968 | 73,743 | 76,440 | 75,503 | 68,987 | 69,861 | 70,644 | |
| First marriage one partner | no. | 21,073 | 21,123 | 20,705 | 21,386 | 21,185 | 18,889 | 19,462 | 19,678 | |
| Remarriage both partners | no. | 16,025 | 16,164 | 16,150 | 16,490 | 16,741 | 15,254 | 16,112 | 16,072 | |
Marriages performed by | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ministers of religion | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Number | no. | 69,638 | 65,573 | 55,807 | 55,720 | 53,521 | 48,372 | 47,400 | 46,187 | |
| | Proportion | % | 60.6 | 57.9 | 50.5 | 48.7 | 47.2 | 46.9 | 45.0 | 43.4 | |
| Civil celebrants | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Number | no. | 45,222 | 47,682 | 54,791 | 58,596 | 59,908 | 54,758 | 58,035 | 60,207 | |
| | Proportion | % | 39.4 | 42.1 | 49.5 | 51.3 | 52.8 | 53.1 | 55.0 | 56.6 | |
Relative birthplace of bridegroom and bride(c) | | | | | | | | | | |
| Both born in Australia | no. | 74,778 | 72,532 | 70,883 | 72,354 | 72,122 | 64,373 | 65,020 | 65,436 | |
| Both born in the same overseas country | no. | 7,225 | 9,021 | 8,720 | 9,751 | 9,262 | 8,611 | 9,210 | 9,502 | |
| Born in different countries | no. | 32,789 | 31,695 | 30,995 | 32,190 | 32,032 | 30,130 | 31,184 | 31,444 | |
Cohabitation prior to marriage | | | | | | | | | | |
| Number | no. | na | na | 74,374 | 78,800 | 80,893 | 74,244 | 77,024 | 79,311 | |
| Proportion of all marriages | % | na | na | 67.2 | 68.9 | 71.3 | 72.0 | 73.1 | 74.5 | |
BRIDEGROOM | |
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Age-specific marriage rates | | | | | | | | | | |
| Age groups (years) | | | | | | | | | | |
| | 19 and under | rate | 3.9 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 | |
| | 20-24 | rate | 62.8 | 36.3 | 27.0 | 27.2 | 25.6 | 21.9 | 21.0 | 19.2 | |
| | 25-29 | rate | 51.0 | 53.2 | 51.3 | 52.2 | 51.6 | 47.2 | 46.3 | 46.4 | |
| | 30-34 | rate | 24.2 | 28.9 | 31.1 | 33.1 | 33.6 | 30.8 | 32.4 | 33.5 | |
| | 35-39 | rate | 13.7 | 15.0 | 16.4 | 17.5 | 17.3 | 16.3 | 17.1 | 17.5 | |
| | 40-44 | rate | 9.6 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 10.1 | 10.5 | 9.7 | 10.0 | 10.3 | |
| | 45-49 | rate | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 7.4 | |
| | 50 and over | rate | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.5 | |
Marital status at marriage | | | | | | | | | | |
| Never married | no. | 87,568 | 85,942 | 83,508 | 86,694 | 85,546 | 77,849 | 79,033 | 79,907 | |
| Widowed | no. | 2,959 | 2,718 | 2,348 | 2,336 | 2,300 | 2,084 | 2,072 | 2,122 | |
| Divorced | no. | 24,333 | 24,595 | 24,742 | 25,286 | 25,583 | 23,197 | 24,330 | 24,365 | |
| Total | no. | 114,860 | 113,255 | 110,598 | 114,316 | 113,429 | 103,130 | 105,435 | 106,394 | |
Median age at marriage | | | | | | | | | | |
| Never married | no. | 24.9 | 27.0 | 27.9 | 28.2 | 28.5 | 28.7 | 29.0 | 29.2 | |
| Widowed | no. | 59.7 | 62.0 | 61.4 | 62.0 | 62.1 | 61.9 | 62.3 | 62.6 | |
| Divorced | no. | 36.5 | 40.4 | 42.0 | 42.2 | 42.7 | 43.1 | 43.6 | 43.6 | |
| Total | no. | 26.4 | 28.8 | 29.8 | 30.1 | 30.3 | 30.6 | 31.0 | 31.2 | |
BRIDE | |
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Age-specific marriage rates | | | | | | | | | | |
| Age group (years) | | | | | | | | | | |
| | 19 and under | rate | 22.5 | 7.3 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.8 | |
| | 20-24 | rate | 79.2 | 57.8 | 45.4 | 45.6 | 43.0 | 37.2 | 35.8 | 34.0 | |
| | 25-29 | rate | 36.7 | 46.4 | 50.3 | 52.4 | 51.9 | 48.1 | 48.6 | 49.2 | |
| | 30-34 | rate | 16.8 | 21.5 | 24.3 | 26.1 | 27.1 | 25.5 | 27.2 | 28.0 | |
| | 35-39 | rate | 10.0 | 11.3 | 12.1 | 12.9 | 13.2 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 13.5 | |
| | 40-44 | rate | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 7.3 | 7.6 | 7.9 | |
| | 45-49 | rate | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 6.0 | 5.9 | |
| | 50 and over | rate | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | |
Marital status at marriage | | | | | | | | | | |
| Never married | no. | 89,029 | 87,117 | 84,683 | 87,572 | 86,645 | 79,014 | 80,151 | 81,059 | |
| Widowed | no. | 3,457 | 3,099 | 2,664 | 2,662 | 2,543 | 2,336 | 2,359 | 2,326 | |
| Divorced | no. | 22,374 | 23,039 | 23,251 | 24,082 | 24,241 | 21,780 | 22,925 | 23,009 | |
| Total | no. | 114,860 | 113,255 | 110,598 | 114,316 | 113,429 | 103,130 | 105,435 | 106,394 | |
Median age at marriage | | | | | | | | | | |
| Never married | no. | 22.7 | 24.8 | 26.2 | 26.4 | 26.7 | 26.9 | 27.1 | 27.3 | |
| Widowed | no. | 52.3 | 52.8 | 54.1 | 53.5 | 53.9 | 54.4 | 55.5 | 55.8 | |
| Divorced | no. | 33.4 | 36.8 | 38.4 | 38.6 | 39.1 | 39.5 | 39.8 | 40.2 | |
| Total | no. | 23.9 | 26.4 | 27.7 | 27.9 | 28.3 | 28.6 | 28.9 | 29.1 | |
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na not available |
(a) See glossary for definitions of terms used. |
(b) Per 1,000 population. |
(c) Excludes marriages where country of birth of one or both partners is not stated. |
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