AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS (ABS)
NAME OF COLLECTION
Marriages
OVERVIEW
The Marriages collection provides data on the number of marriages registered in Australia each year. Data are provided by the Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages in each state and territory. Annual data are available on the bridegroom and bride - age at marriage, marital status at marriage (never married, widowed, divorced), number of children, country of birth, previous marriage status (whether or not first marriage for either partner) - as well as cohabitation prior to marriage and who performed the marriage (ministers of religion, civil celebrants).
Registered marriage data are used to assist analysis of family formation. For all their limitations - especially incompleteness because of 'unregistered' marriages and divorces (de facto formation and dissolution) – marriage and divorce registration statistics provide a unique measure of the social well-being of our society.
Data are available by the state and territory in which the marriage was registered, rather than the state/territory of usual residence of the applicants.
Marriages data have been collected and published for each year since pre-Federation. Annual unit record files for each year since 1974 are available.
DATA DETAIL
DATA ITEMS RELEVANT TO MIGRANTS AND ETHNICITY
- Country of birth for bridegroom and bride
Note: Standard output items for this data item include tables presenting the country of birth (of bridegroom and bride) cross tabulated with birthplace of the other partner, who performed the marriage, marital status at marriage, age at marriage, duration of residence in Australia and cohabitation prior to marriage. The country of birth is presented by the following regions with some individual countries listed within regions:
- Oceania and Antarctica
- North-West Europe
- Southern and Eastern Europe
- North Africa and the Middle East
- South-East Asia
- North-East Asia
- Southern and Central Asia
- Americas
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Other and not stated
Note: When cross tabulated with above, the birthplace of the other partner is presented as:
- Australia
- Same overseas country
- Different overseas country
- Total
OTHER DATA ITEMS COLLECTED
A full list of data items collected for Marriages is available in
Marriages and Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3310.0).
For further details on scope, geographic coverage, data availability and publications, methodology, classifications and concepts visit the
Marriages entry in the
Directory of Statistical Sources.
CONTACT DETAILS
For further information about these and related statistics, contact the
National Information and Referral Service.
Phone: 1300 135 070
Fax: 1300 135 211
Post: Client Services, ABS, GPO Box 796, Sydney 2001
Email:
client.services@abs.gov.au
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