Number of marriages
There were 113,815 registered marriages in Australia in 2019, a decrease of 5,373 (4.5%) compared to 2018 (119,188).
- There are a range of administrative factors that affect the timeliness of marriages being registered in a given year. See 'Considerations when interpreting 2019 and time-series data' in Methodology.
- Care should be taken when interpreting 2004 data. In 2004 marriage registrations were sampled for NSW, Vic, Qld and SA, while the other states were fully enumerated. Sampled forms were subject to full processing. For an explanation and calculation of the sampling error see the Technical Note in Marriages, Australia, 2004.
- In 2012 and 2013, the Victorian marriage data contributing to totals were compiled using a sampling method. Caution is advised when interpreting marriages data for 2012 and 2013, as this includes estimates for Victoria.
Crude marriage rate
In 2019, Australia's crude marriage rate was 4.5 marriages per 1,000 estimated resident population. The crude marriage rate has decreased over time, from:
- 5.5 marriages per 1,000 persons in 2009; and
- 6.0 marriages per 1,000 persons in 1999.
- Crude marriage rates reflect the number of marriages registered during the year per 1,000 estimated resident population, as at 30 June for that year. See Glossary and 'Rates and rounding' in Methodology.
- There are a range of administrative factors that affect the timeliness of marriages being registered in a given year. See 'Considerations when interpreting 2019 and time-series data' in Methodology.
- Care should be taken when interpreting 2004 data. In 2004 marriage registrations were sampled for NSW, Vic, Qld and SA, while the other states were fully enumerated. Sampled forms were subject to full processing. For an explanation and calculation of the sampling error see the Technical Note in Marriages, Australia, 2004.
- In 2012 and 2013, the Victorian marriage data contributing to totals were compiled using a sampling method. Caution is advised when interpreting marriages data for 2012 and 2013, as this includes estimates for Victoria.
Same-sex marriages
2019 represents the second full year for which same-sex marriage data are available. Amendments to the Marriage Act 1961 enabling same-sex couples to legally marry in Australia came into effect on 9 December 2017.
In 2019:
- The number of same-sex marriages was 5,507, a decrease of 1,031 (15.8%) compared to 2018.
- Same-sex marriages represented 4.8% of all marriages in Australia.
- More female same-sex couples married (58.9% of all same-sex marriages) than male same-sex couples (41.1%).
- 97.1% of same-sex marriages were administered by a civil celebrant (5,347 marriages).
- For couples in same-sex marriages the median age for males was 39.3 years, and for females it was 36.5 years.
| 2018 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Male same-sex marriages (no.) | 2,757 | 2,262 |
| Female same-sex marriages (no.) | 3,781 | 3,243 |
| Total same-sex marriages (no.) | 6,538 | 5,507 |
| Total marriages (no.) | 119,188 | 113,815 |
| Proportion of marriages that were same-sex (%) | 5.5 | 4.8 |
| First marriage both partners (no.) | 4,809 | 4,201 |
| Civil celebrants (%) | 98.9 | 97.1 |
| Male median age (years) | 44.9 | 39.3 |
| Female median age (years) | 39.3 | 36.5 |
- Same-sex marriage data exclude marriages registered for which one or both parties of the marriage did not identify as male or female. See 'Classifications' in Methodology.
Age at marriage
The median age at marriage in 2019 was 32.3 years of age for males and 30.5 years of age for females.
Since 2009, median age at marriage:
- has increased from 31.5 to 32.3 years of age for males.
- has increased from 29.2 to 30.5 years of age for females.
This includes those marrying for the first time, as well as those remarrying after being widowed or divorced.
- There are a range of administrative factors that affect the timeliness of marriages being registered in a given year. See 'Considerations when interpreting 2019 and time-series data' in Methodology.
- Care should be taken when interpreting 2004 data. In 2004 marriage registrations were sampled for NSW, Vic, Qld and SA, while the other states were fully enumerated. Sampled forms were subject to full processing. For an explanation and calculation of the sampling error see the Technical Note in Marriages, Australia, 2004.
- In 2012 and 2013, the Victorian marriage data contributing to totals were compiled using a sampling method. Caution is advised when interpreting marriages data for 2012 and 2013, as this includes estimates for Victoria.
- There are a very small number of same-sex marriages included in data for 2017. Where data are presented by sex for 2017, a small number of males are included in data for females and vice versa.
- Marriage data by sex exclude data for which the person did not identify as male or female.
In 2019:
- Nearly one-third (33.1%) of females who married did so between the ages of 25 and 29, and a further 23.6% married between the ages of 30 and 34.
- Over one-quarter (27.9%) of males who married were aged between 25 and 29, and a further quarter (26.2%) married between the ages of 30 and 34.
- The minimum age at which a person can legally marry in Australia is 16 years. See 'Marriages and divorces legislation' in Methodology.
- Marriage data by sex exclude data for which the person did not identify as male or female.
- Perturbation has been applied to marriages data in this publication. Due to perturbation, component cells may not add to published totals. See 'Confidentiality' in Methodology.
Most popular time of year to marry
In 2019, 94.7% (107,785) of the marriages registered in 2019 also occurred in 2019. For these marriages:
- March was the most popular month in which to marry (12.6% of couples married in March).
- Spring was the most popular season in which to marry, with 32.4% of couples marrying between September and November.
- Saturday 19 October was the most popular day on which to marry, with 1,976 couples tying the knot that day.
- The data presented in this graph is based on the year in which the marriage occurred, rather than the year in which it was registered. A proportion of marriages occur in a given year but are not registered until subsequent years. Care should be taken in interpreting 2019 occurrence data, particularly for December, as marriage counts are expected to increase with further processing.
- Perturbation has been applied to marriages data in this publication. Due to perturbation, component cells may not add to published totals. See 'Confidentiality' in Methodology.
Popularity of marriage month varies by state and territory. For marriages registered in 2019 which also occurred in 2019:
- March was the most popular month in which to marry for those who wed in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
- July was the most popular month to wed in the Northern Territory.
- September was most popular for Queensland weddings.
- November was the most popular month in which to marry in South Australia.
State and territory data
Marriage statistics are presented by the state or territory in which the marriage was registered, rather than the state or territory of usual residence of the couple. In 2019:
- All states and territories recorded a decrease in marriages compared with 2018, with the exception of the Northern Territory.
- South Australia recorded the greatest proportional decrease in marriages, down by 8.0% (616 marriages).
| NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT | Aust. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 40,583 | 30,152 | 23,641 | 7,741 | 12,219 | 2,497 | 795 | 1,562 | 119,188 |
| 2019 | 39,596 | 28,634 | 22,152 | 7,125 | 11,661 | 2,385 | 805 | 1,461 | 113,815 |
| Change (no.) | -987 | -1,518 | -1,489 | -616 | -558 | -112 | 10 | -101 | -5,373 |
| Change (%) | -2.4 | -5.0 | -6.3 | -8.0 | -4.6 | -4.5 | 1.3 | -6.5 | -4.5 |
| 2019 same-sex marriages(b) (no.) | 2,004 | 1,385 | 1,030 | 310 | 527 | 130 | 38 | 76 | 5,507 |
| Proportion of 2019 marriages that were same-sex(b) (%) | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 4.8 |
- Marriage data are based on the state or territory of registration rather than state or territory of usual residence of the couple. See 'Considerations when interpreting 2019 and time-series data' in Methodology.
- Same-sex marriage data exclude marriages registered for which one or both parties of the marriage did not identify as male or female. See 'Classifications' in Methodology.
Registered relationships
Most state and territory Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages provide couples an alternative to marriage in the form of a relationship register. Registers are available to adults who are in a relationship as a couple, regardless of sex.
A relationship register provides legal proof of a relationship, which may be helpful for:
- tax purposes;
- superannuation and government payments;
- providing next-of-kin status to funeral directors; and
- medical emergencies.
Registered relationships are not included in marriage statistics. However, each state and territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages that has a relationship register provides counts of registered relationships to the ABS. These counts provide a more holistic picture of how relationships are legalised. Currently Western Australia and the Northern Territory are the only jurisdictions without a register.
When considering the states/territories with a relationship register at the time, registered relationships as a proportion of all legal relationships (that is, registered relationships plus marriages) has increased over time, from 9.2% in 2015 to 16.4% in 2019.
- Data in this graph reflect the number of registered relationships as a proportion of all legal relationships (that is, the sum of registered relationships and registered marriages).
- Jurisdictions with a relationship register include New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. South Australia introduced their relationship register in August 2017 and therefore numbers for this state are only included in 2018 and 2019.