Stats NZ

Marriages, civil unions, and divorces: Year ended December 2018

Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year.

Key facts

Marriages and civil unions

In 2018:

  • 20,949 marriages and civil unions were registered to New Zealand residents. Of these, 510 were same-sex marriages or civil unions.
  • 15,009 were first marriages or civil unions, 5,916 were remarriages or civil unions, and 24 couples (both same-sex and opposite-sex) transferred between a civil union and a marriage.
  • The number of marriages and civil unions remained very similar to the annual average over the last 20 years.
  • The general marriage rate was 10.8 marriages and civil unions per 1,000 people aged 16 years and over who are not married or in a civil union (transfers between a marriage and civil union are excluded). This rate fell slightly from the previous year and continues a long downward trend.
  • An additional 3,120 marriages or civil unions were registered to overseas residents. Of these, 384 were same-sex marriages or civil unions.

Divorces

In 2018:

  • 7,455 couples were granted divorces in New Zealand.
  • There were 7.7 divorces for every 1,000 estimated existing marriages and civil unions, down from 8.4 in 2017.
  • The decreasing divorce rate coincided with a decrease in the number of children whose parents divorced. There were 5,598 children under 17 years whose parents were granted a divorce, down from 7,578 in 2008, and 9,429 in 1998.
Created with Highcharts 5.0.14December yearPer 1,000 eligible people/marriagesGeneral marriage and divorce rates, 1961–2018General marriage rateDivorce rate196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201801020304050Stats NZ

General marriage and divorce rates, 1961–2018

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14Per 1,000 eligible people/marriagesGeneral marriage and divorce rates, 1961–2018General marriage rateDivorce rate196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201801020304050Stats NZ
December yearGeneral marriage rateDivorce rate
196138.193.2
196237.653.2
196337.113.4
196437.653.3
196538.593.1
196640.143.5
196740.683.4
196841.493.5
196942.834.8
197043.954.9
197145.495.1
1972445.2
197341.825.3
197439.246.4
197536.896.6
197635.467.4
197731.967.4
197830.638
197929.558.5
198029.359
198129.3911.9
198230.7117.1
198328.513.3
198428.1512.5
198526.5811.7
198625.2911.9
198724.9611.8
198823.3611.8
198922.1811.7
199022.1912.3
199119.6512
199218.3411.9
199317.9511.9
199417.411.9
199516.8812.3
199616.4712.7
199715.7112.3
199815.5812.6
199916.0812.5
200015.4912.2
200114.7112.1
200214.8312.7
200314.8912.8
200414.2512.8
200513.7611.9
200614.1711.9
200713.9811.3
200814.1111.3
200913.710.1
201013.0410.1
201112.469.7
201212.519.9
201311.449.3
201411.579.1
201511.139.3
201610.958.7
201710.888.4
201810.767.7

Number of marriages increases slightly in 2018, but marriage rate slows down

New Zealand residents registered 20,949 marriages and civil unions in the December 2018 year, up slightly from 20,685 in 2017. This is the highest number of marriages and civil unions since 2012, when there were 20,823.

In 2018, there were an additional 3,120 marriages and civil unions in New Zealand involving overseas residents.

The general marriage rate in 2018 was 10.8 per 1,000 people aged 16 years and over who are not married or in a civil union. This is around one-quarter of the 1971 peak, when the rate was 45.5.

In 2018, 20,436 opposite-sex New Zealand couples and 510 same-sex New Zealand couples married or formed a civil union.

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14December yearNumberNumber of New Zealand resident marriages and civil unions, 1961–2018196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201818k20k22k24k26k28kStats NZ

Number of New Zealand resident marriages and civil unions, 1961–2018

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14NumberNumber of New Zealand resident marriages and civil unions, 1961–2018Number of marriages196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201817.5k20k22.5k25k27.5kStats NZ
December yearNumber of marriages
196119,428
196219,572
196319,854
196420,721
196521,702
196622,947
196723,514
196824,057
196924,972
197025,953
197127,201
197226,868
197326,274
197425,413
197524,534
197624,153
197722,590
197822,425
197922,326
198022,980
198123,658
198225,536
198324,678
198425,272
198524,657
198624,036
198724,444
198823,487
198922,734
199023,340
199121,840
199220,805
199320,802
199420,586
199520,451
199620,451
199719,953
199820,133
199921,084
200020,655
200119,971
200220,688
200321,420
200421,006
200520,718
200621,798
200721,810
200822,275
200921,939
201021,213
201120,532
201220,823
201319,425
201420,175
201519,947
201620,235
201720,685
201820,949

Civil unions

The number of civil unions celebrated by New Zealand residents decreased significantly after same-sex marriages came into effect in 2013. Between 2005 (when civil unions were introduced) and 2013, there were on average just under 300 civil unions a year. This dropped to just under 60 a year between 2014 and 2018.

Five years of same-sex marriages in New Zealand

It has been just over five years since same-sex marriages were first celebrated in New Zealand in August 2013.

Since August 2013, the average number of same-sex marriages registered to New Zealand residents and overseas residents was around 900 a year. This is 3.5 percent of the average total marriages (23,335) over this time.

In 2018, 375 same-sex marriages were registered in New Zealand to overseas residents, down from the peak of 495 in 2017. This decrease coincided with the introduction of same-sex marriages in Australia from December 2017.

New Zealanders marrying later in life

In 2018, the median age at first marriage or civil union was 29.2 years for women and 30.4 years for men, compared with 26.7 and 28.6, respectively, in 1998. Although the median age at first marriage has increased over the last 20 years, most of the increase occurred before 2004. In 1971, when marriage rates peaked, the median age at first marriage was 20.8 years for women and 23.0 years for men.

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14December yearAge (years)Median age at marriage or civil union, 1961–2018MaleFemale19611962196319641965196619671968196919701971197219731974197519761977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182022.52527.53032.535Stats NZ

Median age at marriage or civil union, 1961–2018

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14Age (years)Median age at marriage or civil union, 1961–2018MaleFemale196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820253035Stats NZ
December yearMaleFemale
196124.821.7
196224.621.6
196324.421.7
196424.421.7
196524.221.5
196624.121.3
196723.921.2
196823.721.3
196923.621.3
197023.621.3
197123.521.2
197223.621.2
197323.721.3
197423.821.3
197524.221.6
197624.521.8
197724.722
197824.822.2
19792522.4
198025.222.6
198125.623
198226.223.6
198326.523.9
198426.824.2
198526.924.4
198627.324.8
198727.625.2
198827.925.5
198928.225.8
199028.626.2
199128.826.5
199229.126.7
199329.427
199429.727.3
199530.127.7
199630.428
199730.728.4
199830.828.6
19993128.8
200031.529.3
200131.629.5
200231.829.7
200331.929.8
200432.330.2
200532.530.5
200632.630.5
200732.530.3
200832.530.2
200932.230.1
201032.130
201132.130.1
201232.330.3
201332.430.4
201432.530.5
201532.430.5
201632.430.5
201732.330.5
201832.330.7

Divorces drop below 8,000 for first time since 1980

In 2018, the Family Court granted divorces to 7,455 couples. This was 7.7 divorces for every 1,000 estimated existing marriages and civil unions.

The last time the number of divorces was below 8,000 was in 1980 when the divorce rate was 9.0. This was before an initial sharp increase in divorces in the early 1980s after the passing of the Family Proceedings Act 1980, which allowed for the dissolution of marriage on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. In 1982, divorces had a temporary high of 12,396. Since 2004, the number of divorces has generally declined.

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14December yearNumberNumber of New Zealand resident divorces (marriages and civil unions), 1980–20181980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720186k8k10k12k14kStats NZ

Number of New Zealand resident divorces (marriages and civil unions), 1980–2018

Created with Highcharts 5.0.14NumberNumber of New Zealand resident divorces (marriages and civil unions), 1980–2018Number of divorces1980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720186k8k10k12k14kStats NZ
December yearNumber of divorces
19806,495
19818,592
198212,396
19839,750
19849,174
19858,607
19868,754
19878,709
19888,673
19898,556
19909,036
19919,150
19929,114
19939,192
19949,213
19959,576
199610,008
19979,753
199810,065
19999,930
20009,699
20019,681
200210,290
200310,491
200410,608
20059,972
200610,065
20079,651
20089,720
20098,754
20108,901
20118,583
20128,826
20138,319
20148,232
20158,520
20168,169
20178,001
20187,455

Age at divorce has generally been increasing over the years, partly reflecting the trend toward later marriages. The median age at divorce in 2018 was 44.4 years for women and 46.8 years for men, compared with 37.9 years and 40.5 years, respectively, in 1998.

More data

Use Infoshare to select the following categories for marriage, civil union, and divorce tables:

Subject category: Population
Group: Marriage and divorce rates – DMR
Group: Marriages, civil unions, and divorces – VSM

Definitions and metadata

Marriages – DataInfo+ gives the general methodology used to produce marriage statistics, and related metadata.

Civil unions – DataInfo+ gives the general methodology used to produce civil union statistics, and related metadata.

Divorces – DataInfo+ gives the general methodology used to produce divorce statistics, and related metadata.

ISSN 1178-055X

Next release

Marriages, civil unions, and divorces: Year ended December 2019 will be released in May 2020.

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