Marriages Civil Unions and Divorces: Year ended December 2005

Key facts

There were 20,500 legal marriages registered in New Zealand during the December 2005 year. The general marriage rate was 13.2 marriages per 1,000 not-married population aged 16 years and over in 2005. The median ages of men and women marrying for the first time were 30.1 and 28.1 years, respectively, in 2005. Just over one-third of all marriages registered in 2005 (7,300) were remarriages of one or both partners. There were 10,000 orders for dissolution of marriage granted in New Zealand during the December 2005 year. The divorce rate in 2005 was 12.4 divorces per 1,000 estimated existing marriages. Half of marriages dissolved in 2005 had lasted 13.3 years or more.

Brian Pink	22 May 2006
Government Statistician	Cat 32.901 Set 05/06 – 191