Marriages and divorces, 2008

The 25 100 marriages contracted in 2008 amounted to an increase of 1 650 compared to the previous year, and an increase of 3 400 during the last two years. Except from the year 2000, this is the highest number of contracted marriages since 1976. The number of contracted marriages from one year to another might vary with the number of children born in previous years.

Compared with last year, the marriage rate for first-time married men and women increased most in the age group 35 years and older. For age groups below 30 years there were only small changes in the marriage rate. The age group 30-34 years had the highest marriage rate for men and women alike.

Since the 1970s, the average age for contracting marriages has continuously increased. The average age of first-time married men and women in 2008 was 34.1 years and 31.2 years respectively. This is an increase of 0.4 years for both men and women since last year.

Fewer church weddings

The number of couples marrying in church is constantly falling. About 45 per cent married in church last year, civil marriages amounted to 33 per cent, 5 per cent married in other religious communities and 17 per cent abroad. Apart from the year 2000, the percentage share of marriages in church has decreased since the mid-1990s.

Large number of marriages 2008-08-08

A total of 1 051 couples married on Friday 8 August. This is three times as many weddings as the average for all Fridays in August, and more than eight times the average for all Fridays in the whole year.

More than 50 per cent of the couples who married last year did so on a Saturday and 26 per cent chose to marry on a Friday.

Fewer divorced under the age of 40

Last year, 10 200 marriages were dissolved by divorce. The divorce rate - divorced per 1 000 married and separated - decreased in all age groups below 39 years and younger, for both men and women, compared with 2007. For the age groups 50 years and older there were only small changes. Most of the men who divorced were in the age group 40-44 years, and most of the women were in the age group 35-39 years, compared with the married and separated in the population.

Some 50 per cent of the couples who divorced last year did so after a marriage duration of 10 years or more, 30 per cent had been married between 5-9 years and 8 per cent between 20-24 years. Since 1999, the share of divorces after a marriage duration of 5-9 years has increased by 7 percentage points, while divorces after a marriage duration of 20-24 years have decreased by 3 percentage points.

Of the couples divorcing in 2008, 56 per cent had common children under the age of 18. Half of the about 10 000 children whose parents divorced last year were in the age group 6-12 years.

A total of 11 700 couples were separated last year; a small increase compared to 2007. The separation rates - separated per 1 000 married - were 13.6 for men and 14.0 for women. This is an increase of 0.2 and 0.3 respectively compared with 2007.

In 2008, 224 registered partnerships were contracted, a decrease of 43 compared with 2007. For the third year in a row, more partnerships were contracted between two women. Last year 58 partnerships were dissolved by divorce and 94 partnerships experienced separation.

From 1 January 2009, the Marriage Act has changed in such a way that couples of the same sex can get married. This may have resulted in couples waiting with partnership contraction, although it is possible to change a partnership to a marriage.

Tables:

• Table 1 Marriages, by county. 1966-2008
• Table 2 Divorces and separations. County. 1981-2008
• Table 3 Marriages contracted. 1950-2008
• Table 4 Marriages contracted, by type of marriage. 1961-2008
• Table 5 Marriages , by previous marital status of the spouses. 1961-2008
• Table 6 Average age at marriage. Males and females. 1961-2008
• Table 7 Marriage rates for first time married males and females in selected age groups. 1961-2008
• Table 8 Marriages dissolved. Separations. 1961-2008
• Table 9 Divorce rates for males and females in different age groups. 1959-2008
• Table 10 Number of children involved in divorces. 1971-2008
• Table 11 Divorces by number of common children and duration of marriage. 2008
• Table 12 Estimated percentage of marriages dissolved, assuming the divorce rates as in the year of obersvation. 1960-2008
• Table 13 Separation rates for males and females in different age groups.1999-2008
• Table 14 Number of children involved in separations. 1999-2008
• Table 15 Separations, by number of children and duration of marriage. 2008