3310.0 - Marriages and Divorces, Australia, 2011  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/11/2012   
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Contents >> Marriages >> State and Territory data

STATE AND TERRITORY DATA

Marriage statistics in this publication are presented by the State or Territory where the marriage was registered, rather than the State or Territory of usual residence of the couple. For this reason, the ABS advises caution in the interpretation of data at a State or Territory level as couples may choose to marry outside their State or Territory of usual residence. Refer to Explanatory Notes 23-24 for more information.

1.13 Number of marriages, States and Territories(a) - Selected years - 1991-2011

NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.(b)
NT
ACT
Aust.

1991
39 594
28 535
19 844
9 392
10 659
3 069
890
1 886
113 869
2001
36 109
24 953
20 314
7 434
9 785
2 182
781
1 572
103 130
2007
37 982
26 967
25 808
8 095
12 290
2 791
779
1 610
116 322
2008
39 137
27 089
26 803
8 046
12 367
2 685
955
1 674
118 756
2009
40 516
27 750
26 342
8 208
12 184
2 637
919
1 562
120 118
2010
40 371
28 142
26 530
8 323
12 684
2 577
954
1 595
121 176
2011
41 720
28 944
25 560
8 115
12 665
2 329
908
1 511
121 752

(a) Care should be taken in interpreting these figures as marriage data is by State or Territory of registration rather than usual residence. See Explanatory Notes 23-24 for further information.
(b) Care should be taken in interpreting Tasmanian figures for 2011. See Explanatory Note 24 for further information.


New South Wales (up by 1,349 or 3.3% from 2010) and Victoria (up by 802 or 2.8% from 2010) were the only jurisdictions to report an increase in the number of registered marriages from 2010 to 2011. Decreases were reported across all other States and Territories, the largest of these being in Queensland which decreased by 970 or 3.3% in comparison to 2010.

New South Wales recorded the highest crude marriage rate in 2011 (5.7 marriages per 1,000 estimated resident population), whilst the Northern Territory had the lowest crude marriage rate, with 3.9 marriages per 1,000 estimated resident population.

Marriages performed by ministers of religion as a proportion of all marriages in 2011 were highest in New South Wales (34.0%) and lowest in the Northern Territory (21.1%).

In 2011, the proportion of marriages where couples lived together prior to marriage was lowest in New South Wales (71.8%) and highest in Tasmania (87.5%).

1.14 Selected marriage indicators(a), States and Territories of registration(b) - 2011

NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.(c)
NT
ACT
Aust.

Marriages registered no.
41 720
28 944
25 560
8 115
12 665
2 329
908
1 511
121 752
Crude marriage rate(d)
5.7
5.1
5.6
4.9
5.4
4.6
3.9
4.1
5.4
Median age at first marriage
Males no.
31.1
31.2
31.6
31.6
31.9
32.5
33.6
31.2
31.4
Females no.
29.1
29.3
29.4
29.3
29.5
30.0
30.2
29.1
29.3
Previous marital status
First marriage both partners no.
30 214
21 212
17 631
5 685
8 833
1 600
595
1 092
86 862
First marriage one partner no.
6 950
4 600
4 515
1 374
2 165
360
197
255
20 416
Remarriage both partners no.
4 556
3 132
3 414
1 056
1 667
369
116
164
14 474
Marriage celebrants(e)
Ministers of religion
Number of marriages no.
14 186
8 787
6 312
2 499
3 295
594
192
507
36 372
Proportion of marriages %
34.0
30.4
24.7
30.8
26.0
25.5
21.1
33.6
29.9
Civil celebrants
Number of marriages no.
27 529
20 109
19 240
5 616
9 369
1 735
716
997
85 311
Proportion of marriages %
66.0
69.5
75.3
69.2
74.0
74.5
78.9
66.0
70.1
Relative birthplace of male and female(f)
Both born in Australia no.
21 913
15 567
15 716
5 317
6 140
1 827
517
885
67 882
Both born in the same overseas country no.
6 427
4 567
2 034
651
1 375
49
77
141
15 321
Born in different countries no.
13 357
8 805
7 808
2 147
5 118
453
314
485
38 487
Cohabitation prior to marriage
Number of marriages no.
29 954
22 221
21 833
6 633
10 529
2 038
745
1 275
95 228
Proportion of marriages %
71.8
76.8
85.4
81.7
83.1
87.5
82.0
84.4
78.2

(a) See Glossary for definitions of terms used.
(b) Care should be taken in interpreting these figures as marriage data is by State or Territory of registration rather than usual residence. See Explanatory Notes 23-24 for further information.
(c) Care should be taken in interpreting Tasmanian figures for 2011. See Explanatory Note 24 for further information.
(d) Marriages per 1,000 of estimated resident population at 30 June 2011. See Glossary and Explanatory Notes 32 and 38-40 for further information.
(e) Excludes marriages where the rite is not stated or not defined. Registers of ministers of religion are maintained by States and Territories under the authority of the Marriage Act 1961. Data on religious marriage rites are classified to the Australian Standard Classification of Religious Groups, 2011 (ASCRG, cat 1266.0).
(f) Excludes marriages where country of birth of one or both partners is not stated.





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