In 2022, there were about 6.1 marriages per 1,000 residents in Australia. A decade before, the crude marriage rate was at the lower rate of 5.4 per 1,000 country residents.

In 2021, there were about 4.1 marriages per 1,000 Australian residents in Tasmania, Australia. In contrast, there were just 2.8 marriages per 1,000 Australian residents in the Australian Capital Territory.

In 2020, there were 41.52 thousand marriages registered in Australia where both partners were born in Australia. This value was slightly lower than the previous year. Relatively fewer marriages were registered where both partners belonged to the same overseas country.

The average age at which Australians got married for the first time increased for both men and women between 1997 and 2021. As of 2021, males who married for the first time were on average 30.8 years old, while females were on average slightly younger at 29.4 years old.

first time marriage

Wedding bells chime

The most popular months to get married in 2017 were October and November, with many Australians opting to have their wedding in spring. In fact, over 20 percent of couples chose their wedding date based on a preference for a specific season.

In 2017, amendments to the Marriage Act meant that same-sex couples in Australia could also get legally married. This may change marriage figures in the years immediately following, with many long-term same-sex couples choosing to get married with this law change.

Happily ever after?

While the average age of first marriages has increased, the number of Australians tying the knot has decreased, with the crude marriage rate decreasing continuously across the country. The divorce rate has decreased over the years, largely related to the reduction in the number of marriages overall. In 2017, almost half of all divorces in Australia involved children; this share has not changed significantly over the past five years.

In 2020, there were around 56.53 thousand marriages that were first for both partners registered in Australia. This represented a decrease from the previous year. In contrast, about 9.38 out of every 1,000 marriages involved two previously married partners.

This map shows the percentage of the population that is married. Data is available for Country, Greater Capital City Statistical Area (GCCSA), Local Government Area (LGA), Statistical Area Level 1 (SA1) and 2 (SA2), and State Suburb (SSC) boundaries.This map contains layers that contain some of the more commonly used variables from the General Community Profile information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 census. Data is available for Country, Greater Capital City Statistical Area (GCCSA), Local Government Area (LGA), Statistical Area Level 1 (SA1) and 2 (SA2), and Suburb and Localities (SAL) boundaries.The General Community Profile contains a series of tables showing the characteristics of persons, families and dwellings in a selected geographic area. The data is based on place of usual residence (that is, where people usually live, rather than where they were counted on Census night). Community Profiles are excellent tools for researching, planning and analysing geographic areas for a number of social, economic and demographic characteristics.Download the data here.Data and Geography notes:View the Readme files located in the DataPacks and GeoPackages zip files.To access the 2021 DataPacks, visit https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/datapacksGlossary terms and definitions of classifications can be found in the 2021 Census DictionaryMore information about Census data products is available at https://www.abs.gov.au/census/guide-census-data/about-census-tools/datapacksDetailed geography information: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgs-edition-3/jul2021-jun2026/main-structure-and-greater-capital-city-statistical-areas: 2021 Statistical Area Level 1 (SA1), 2021 Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), 2021 Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA), 2021 Australia (AUS)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgs-edition-3/jul2021-jun2026/non-abs-structures: 2021 Suburbs and Localities (SAL), 2021 Local Government Areas (LGA)Please note that there are data assumptions that should be considered when analysing the ABS Census data. These are detailed within the Census documents referenced above. These include:Registered Marital StatusIn December 2017, amendments to the Marriage Act 1961 came into effect enabling marriage equality for all couples. For 2021, registered marriages include all couples.Core Activity Need for AssistanceMeasures the number of people with a profound or severe core activity limitation. People with a profound or severe core activity limitation are those needing assistance in their day to day lives in one or more of the three core activity areas of self-care, mobility and communication because of a long-term health condition (lasting six months or more), a disability (lasting six months or more), or old age. Number of Motor VehiclesExcludes motorbikes, motor scooters and heavy vehicles.Please note that there are small random adjustments made to all cell values to protect the confidentiality of data. These adjustments may cause the sum of rows or columns to differ by small amounts from table totals.Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

In 2023, approximately 118,439 marriages were registered in Australia. This marked a slight decrease in the number of marriages across the country compared to the previous year.

This report analyses the number of marriages registered in Australia each year. The data for this report is sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and is measured in the number of marriages nationwide per calendar year. The registration of marriages is collected and provided to the ABS by individual state and territory Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

This web map contains layers that contain some of the more commonly used variables from the General Community Profile information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 census. Data is available for Country, Greater Capital City Statistical Area (GCCSA), Local Government Area (LGA), Statistical Area Level 1 (SA1) and 2 (SA2), and Suburb and Localities (SAL) boundaries.The General Community Profile contains a series of tables showing the characteristics of persons, families and dwellings in a selected geographic area. The data is based on place of usual residence (that is, where people usually live, rather than where they were counted on Census night). Community Profiles are excellent tools for researching, planning and analysing geographic areas for a number of social, economic and demographic characteristics.Download the data here.Data and Geography notes:View the Readme files located in the DataPacks and GeoPackages zip files.To access the 2021 DataPacks, visit https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/datapacksGlossary terms and definitions of classifications can be found in the 2021 Census DictionaryMore information about Census data products is available at https://www.abs.gov.au/census/guide-census-data/about-census-tools/datapacksDetailed geography information: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgs-edition-3/jul2021-jun2026/main-structure-and-greater-capital-city-statistical-areas: 2021 Statistical Area Level 1 (SA1), 2021 Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), 2021 Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA), 2021 Australia (AUS)https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgs-edition-3/jul2021-jun2026/non-abs-structures: 2021 Suburbs and Localities (SAL), 2021 Local Government Areas (LGA)Please note that there are data assumptions that should be considered when analysing the ABS Census data. These are detailed within the Census documents referenced above. These include:Registered Marital StatusIn December 2017, amendments to the Marriage Act 1961 came into effect enabling marriage equality for all couples. For 2021, registered marriages include all couples.Core Activity Need for AssistanceMeasures the number of people with a profound or severe core activity limitation. People with a profound or severe core activity limitation are those needing assistance in their day to day lives in one or more of the three core activity areas of self-care, mobility and communication because of a long-term health condition (lasting six months or more), a disability (lasting six months or more), or old age. Number of Motor VehiclesExcludes motorbikes, motor scooters and heavy vehicles.Please note that there are small random adjustments made to all cell values to protect the confidentiality of data. These adjustments may cause the sum of rows or columns to differ by small amounts from table totals.Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

This report analyses the number of divorces. In Australia, divorces can only be granted when a marriage has suffered an irretrievable breakdown. Partners must have been separated for at least 12 months before applying for divorce and there must be no reasonable likelihood of reconciliation. The data for this report is sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and represents the number of divorces per calendar year. Divorce statistics are supplied to the ABS by the Family Court of Australia.

In 2021, the crude divorce rate in Queensland, Australia was 2.6 per 1,000 resident population. In contrast, the divorce rate in the Northern Territory was 1.8 per 1,000 resident population.

LGA based data for Age by Registered Marital Status by Sex, in Basic Community Profile, 1996 Census. Count of persons aged 15 years and over, in the following categories: married, separated, divorced, widowed, never married, and total. The data is by LGA 1996 boundaries. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. This data is ABS data (geographic boundary cat. no. 1261.0.30.001 & census dictionary cat. no. 2901.0) used with permission from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. For more information visit the ABS .

LGA based data for Social Marital Status by Age by Sex, in Place of Enumeration Profile (PEP), 2016 Census. Count of persons aged 15 years and over in the following categories: married in a registered marriage, married in a de facto marriage (including same-sex couples), and not married. Excludes overseas visitors. Excludes persons in 'Visitors only' and 'Other non-classifiable' households, 'Non-private dwellings', and 'Migratory, off-shore and shipping' SA1s. Excludes persons who were temporarily absent on Census Night. The data is by LGA 2016 boundaries. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. Note: There are small random adjustments made to all cell values to protect the confidentiality of data. These adjustments may cause the sum of rows or columns to differ by small amounts from table totals. For more information visit the data source: http://www.abs.gov.au/census.

GCCSA based data for Social Marital Status by Age by Sex, in General Community Profile (GCP), 2016 Census. Count of persons aged 15 years and over in the following categories: married in a registered marriage, married in a de facto marriage (including same-sex couples), and not married. Excludes persons in 'Visitors only' and 'Other non-classifiable' households, 'Non-private dwellings', and 'Migratory, off-shore and shipping' SA1s. Excludes persons who were temporarily absent on Census Night. The data is by GCCSA 2016 boundaries. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. Note: There are small random adjustments made to all cell values to protect the confidentiality of data. These adjustments may cause the sum of rows or columns to differ by small amounts from table totals. For more information visit the data source: http://www.abs.gov.au/census.

GCCSA based data for Registered Marital Status by Age by Sex, in Place of Enumeration Profile (PEP), 2016 Census. Count of persons aged 15 years and over, in the following categories: married, separated, divorced, widowed, and never been married. The counts exclude de facto marriages. The data is by GCCSA 2016 boundaries. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. Note: There are small random adjustments made to all cell values to protect the confidentiality of data. These adjustments may cause the sum of rows …Show full descriptionGCCSA based data for Registered Marital Status by Age by Sex, in Place of Enumeration Profile (PEP), 2016 Census. Count of persons aged 15 years and over, in the following categories: married, separated, divorced, widowed, and never been married. The counts exclude de facto marriages. The data is by GCCSA 2016 boundaries. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. Note: There are small random adjustments made to all cell values to protect the confidentiality of data. These adjustments may cause the sum of rows or columns to differ by small amounts from table totals. For more information visit the data source: http://www.abs.gov.au/census. Copyright attribution: Government of the Commonwealth of Australia - Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2017): ; accessed from AURIN on 12/16/2021. Licence type: Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia (CC BY 2.5 AU)

SA1 based data for Social Marital Status by Age by Sex, in General Community Profile (GCP), 2016 Census. Count of persons aged 15 years and over in the following categories: married in a registered …Show full descriptionSA1 based data for Social Marital Status by Age by Sex, in General Community Profile (GCP), 2016 Census. Count of persons aged 15 years and over in the following categories: married in a registered marriage, married in a de facto marriage (including same-sex couples), and not married. Excludes persons in 'Visitors only' and 'Other non-classifiable' households, 'Non-private dwellings', and 'Migratory, off-shore and shipping' SA1s. Excludes persons who were temporarily absent on Census Night. The data is by SA1 2016 boundaries. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. Note: There are small random adjustments made to all cell values to protect the confidentiality of data. These adjustments may cause the sum of rows or columns to differ by small amounts from table totals. For more information visit the data source: http://www.abs.gov.au/census. Copyright attribution: Government of the Commonwealth of Australia - Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2017): ; accessed from AURIN on 12/16/2021. Licence type: Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia (CC BY 2.5 AU)

GCCSA based data for Registered Marital Status by Age by Sex, in General Community Profile (GCP), 2016 Census. Count of persons aged 15 years and over, in the following categories: married, …Show full descriptionGCCSA based data for Registered Marital Status by Age by Sex, in General Community Profile (GCP), 2016 Census. Count of persons aged 15 years and over, in the following categories: married, separated, divorced, widowed, and never been married. The counts exclude de facto marriages. The data is by GCCSA 2016 boundaries. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. Note: There are small random adjustments made to all cell values to protect the confidentiality of data. These adjustments may cause the sum of rows or columns to differ by small amounts from table totals. For more information visit the data source: http://www.abs.gov.au/census. Copyright attribution: Government of the Commonwealth of Australia - Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2017): ; accessed from AURIN on 12/16/2021. Licence type: Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia (CC BY 2.5 AU)

SA1 based data for Age by Sex, and Registered Marital Status (excludes de facto marriage), for 2011 Census. Count of all persons on Census night based on place of usual residence. Data sourced from: …Show full descriptionSA1 based data for Age by Sex, and Registered Marital Status (excludes de facto marriage), for 2011 Census. Count of all persons on Census night based on place of usual residence. Data sourced from: http://www.abs.gov.au/census. For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Services on 1300 135 070. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. Copyright attribution: Government of the Commonwealth of Australia - Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2011): ; accessed from AURIN on 12/16/2021. Licence type: Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia (CC BY 2.5 AU)

SA3 based data for Social Marital Status by Age by Sex, in General Community Profile (GCP), 2016 Census. Count of persons aged 15 years and over in the following categories: married in a registered …Show full descriptionSA3 based data for Social Marital Status by Age by Sex, in General Community Profile (GCP), 2016 Census. Count of persons aged 15 years and over in the following categories: married in a registered marriage, married in a de facto marriage (including same-sex couples), and not married. Excludes persons in 'Visitors only' and 'Other non-classifiable' households, 'Non-private dwellings', and 'Migratory, off-shore and shipping' SA1s. Excludes persons who were temporarily absent on Census Night. The data is by SA3 2016 boundaries. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. Note: There are small random adjustments made to all cell values to protect the confidentiality of data. These adjustments may cause the sum of rows or columns to differ by small amounts from table totals. For more information visit the data source: http://www.abs.gov.au/census. Copyright attribution: Government of the Commonwealth of Australia - Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2017): ; accessed from AURIN on 12/3/2020. Licence type: Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia (CC BY 2.5 AU)

SA3 based data for Age by Sex, and Registered Marital Status (excludes de facto marriage), for 2011 Census. Count of all persons on Census night based on place of usual residence. Data sourced from: …Show full descriptionSA3 based data for Age by Sex, and Registered Marital Status (excludes de facto marriage), for 2011 Census. Count of all persons on Census night based on place of usual residence. Data sourced from: http://www.abs.gov.au/census. For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Services on 1300 135 070. Periodicity: 5-Yearly. Copyright attribution: Government of the Commonwealth of Australia - Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2011): ; accessed from AURIN on 12/16/2021. Licence type: Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia (CC BY 2.5 AU)