Marriages, Civil Unions, and Divorces: Year ended December 2010

Total marriages

There were 20,900 marriages registered to New Zealand residents in the December 2010 year, down 700 or 3 percent from 21,600 marriages in 2009. A further 2,200 marriages were registered to overseas residents in 2010. The highest number of marriages in any year was in 1971, when 27,200 couples tied the knot.

 

The general marriage rate (number of marriages per 1,000 not-married population aged 16 years and over) was 12.5 per 1,000 in 2010, less than one-third of the peak of 45.5 per 1,000 recorded in 1971. Many factors have contributed to the fall in the marriage rate, including the growth in de facto unions, a general trend towards delayed marriage, and increasing numbers of New Zealanders remaining single.

 

Date of marriage

The warmer months of January, February, and March remain the most popular months for marriages. In 2010, 42 percent of resident marriages were celebrated in the first three months of the year compared with 12 percent for the colder months of June, July, and August. The most popular day for a wedding in 2010 was Saturday, 20 February, when 600 marriages were celebrated.

Another popular day to marry was Sunday, 10 October 2010, or 10/10/10, when 260 marriages were celebrated. This compared with an average of 30 marriages on other Sundays in October.  

First marriages and remarriages

In 2010, 14,500 couples married for the first time, down from 14,800 in 2009. The number of remarriages (that is, when one or both partners have previously been married) also dropped from 6,800 in 2009 to 6,400 in 2010. Remarriages made up 31 percent of all marriages in both 2009 and 2010, the lowest since 1981. The proportion of remarriages remained stable at around 36 percent of all marriages between 1995 and 2005, but dropped slightly to 34 percent in 2006 and 33 percent in 2007 and 2008. In 1971, just 16 percent of marriages involved the remarriage of one or both partners.

Age at first marriage

New Zealanders are marrying later than in the past. In 2010, the median age at first marriage was 29.9 and 28.2 years for men and women, respectively – up from 26.8 and 24.5 years in 1990. Although the median age at first marriage has increased over the last 20 years, most of the increase occurred before 2004 and the median age has remained relatively constant since then. In 1971, when marriage rates peaked, the median age of first marriage was 23.0 years for men and 20.8 years for women. Now, fewer New Zealanders are marrying in their teens or early twenties. In 1971, 62 percent of men and 52 percent of women marrying for the first time were aged 20–24 years, compared with 15 percent and 22 percent for men and women, respectively, in 2010. Teenagers comprised 36 percent of women who married for the first time in 1971, but only 3 percent in 2010.

Age at marriage

New Zealand men and women are now marrying, on average, nine years later than in 1971. Among all marriages (first marriages and remarriages), the median age at marriage reached historic lows of 23.5 years for men and 21.2 years for women in 1971, before rising to 32.1 years for men and 30.0 years for women in 2010. 

 

In 2010, the median ages of divorced and widowed men remarrying were 47.4 and 63.6 years, respectively, while the median ages of divorced and widowed women remarrying were 44.1 and 55.5 years, respectively.

De facto unions

A growing proportion of New Zealanders live together without legalising or formalising their union. The Census of Population and Dwellings is the primary source of information on de facto unions. Marriage statistics only provide information on legally registered marriages. In 1996, about 1 in 7 adults (aged 15 years and over) who were in partnerships were not legally married. By 2006, this figure had increased to around 1 in 5. The proportion of partnered people who are not legally married decreases with age. Among partnered people aged 15–44 years, 35 percent were not legally married in 2006. This compares with 10 percent for partnered men and women aged 45 years and over. Among partnered women aged 15–19 years, 9 out of 10 were living in a de facto union at the time of the 2006 Census.

Civil unions

The Civil Union Act 2004 came into force on 26 April 2005 and the first ceremonies were celebrated on 29 April 2005. This Act introduced a new form of legal relationship. Two people aged 18 years and over, whether of opposite or the same sex, can enter into a civil union provided they are not currently married to, or in a civil union with, someone else. As with marriages, people aged 16 and 17 years must have their guardian's consent to enter a civil union. A couple who are currently married can transfer their relationship to a civil union. An opposite-sex couple in a civil union can transfer their relationship to a marriage. As in the past, a same-sex couple cannot enter into a marriage. Although some other countries have legal registration of same-sex unions, legal rights and requirements vary.

In 2010, 273 civil unions were registered to New Zealand residents. These comprised 200 same-sex unions (73 male and 127 female) and 73 opposite-sex unions. In addition, 65 civil unions were registered to overseas residents, bringing the total number of registrations to 338. About 1 in 5 civil unions involved overseas residents in 2010, compared with about 1 in 10 marriages.

Marriages and civil unions by geographical areas

Civil unions by broad geographical area are available through Statistics NZ's Infoshare database (www.stats.govt.nz/infoshare). Areas available are based on grouped territorial authorities (for details see the 'Technical Notes' of this release) and include, Auckland, Wellington, the Rest of the North Island, Canterbury, and the Rest of the South Island. Marriages for all territorial authorities are available from Infoshare and can be grouped to allow comparison with civil unions.

Between 2005 and 2010, around 11 percent of couples marrying were resident in the Wellington area which is consistent with their share of New Zealand's population. In comparison, 20 percent of civil union couples were resident in the Wellington area.

Total divorces

In 1981, the number of divorces rose sharply following the passing of the Family Proceedings Act 1980, which allowed for the dissolution of marriage on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. Divorces recorded a temporary high of 12,400 in 1982. Subsequently, the number fell to a low of 8,600 in 1989. In 2010, the Family Court granted 8,900 divorces, up from 8,700 in 2009. The 2009 figure was the lowest number of divorces since 1989.

 

As with marriages, people in civil unions can dissolve their union after they have been separated for two years. Up to 31 December 2010, 51 civil unions had been dissolved in New Zealand. There is an insufficient number of civil unions to compare the proportion of civil unions being dissolved with the proportion of marriages ending in divorce.

Divorce rate

For every 1,000 estimated existing marriages in New Zealand in 2010, there were 10.2 divorces, the same as in 2009, and the lowest rate since 1980.

 

Percentage of marriages ending in divorce

Annual divorce statistics do not give a complete picture of the number of marriages ending in divorce. Analysis of divorce statistics by year of marriage shows that just over one-third (35 percent) of New Zealanders who married in 1985 had divorced before their silver wedding anniversary (25 years). For those married in 1980, 1975, and 1970 the corresponding figures were 34, 30, and 28 percent, respectively.  

Divorces by length of marriage

These figures describe how long couples had been married when their marriage was dissolved. This is not the same as the percentage of marriages ending in divorce.

Twelve percent of couples divorcing in 2010 had been married for four years or less. However, the most common length of marriage was 5–9 years (accounting for 24 percent of all divorces in 2010). The next most common marriage duration before divorce was 10–14 years (19 percent), followed by 15–19 years (14 percent), and 20–24 years (12 percent). Only 2 percent had been married for 40 years or more.

Couples must be separated for a least two years before they can divorce. Statistics NZ does not have information on how long couples are separated before formally dissolving their marriage or how long they had been partnered before marriage. Some couples may be separated for much longer than two years before divorcing and some may separate but never divorce.

Age of divorcees

The trend in age at divorce is still upward. This partly reflects the marked trend toward later marriages, which started in the early 1970s. The median age at divorce in 2010 was 45.1 years for men and 42.5 years for women up from 41.6 years and 39.0 years, respectively, in 2000.  

Divorces involving people with children

Less than half of all marriages dissolved in 2010 involved people with children (under 17 years). The proportion of divorces involving children fell from 53 percent in 1990 to 43 percent in 2010. Of those divorces involving children in 2010, there was an average of 1.8 children per divorce. This figure has changed little over the past 20 years. 

Vitals articles

Statistics NZ intermittently produces articles that provide extra analysis on selected vitals topics. These can be accessed from the Vitals articles page of the Statistics NZ website (www.stats.govt.nz). The most recent article related to marriages and civil unions is:

 

For technical information contact:
Anne Howard
Christchurch 03 964 8700
Email: demography@stats.govt.nz

Next release ...

Marriages, Civil Unions, and Divorces: Year ending December 2011 will be released on 3 May 2012.