Marriage rates fall to lowest level since 1998

Marriage rates are falling while the age of those tying the knot continues to rise, it has emerged.

There were 19,855 marriages registered in 2011, down 3.6% on the previous year and the lowest in the State since 1998 when there were 16,783.

The figures from the CSO show that in 2011 the average age of the groom was 34.6 years and the bride 32.5, both six months older than the previous year.

The average age of the groom in 1994 was 29.8 years, while the average age of the bride was 27.8.

In 2004, the average age of the bride and groom was 30.9 years and 33 years, respectively.

There were 536 civil partnership ceremonies in 2011, the first year same sex couples could obtain legal recognition of their relationship.

There were 335 male unions and 201 female unions, with over 70% (377) of these same-sex couples living in the Leinster area.

North Tipperary and Monaghan had just one civil partnership each registered in 2011.

The average age of gay couples in a civil partnership is 44 years — about 10 years older that the average marriage age.

Of the 1,072 individual partners, 1,018 (95%) were previously single while 48 (4%) were divorcees and six were widowed.

There were 2,819 divorces granted by the courts in 2011, a decrease of 294 (9%) on the previous year.

There were 2,272 marriages involving at least one divorced person in 2011, including 447 marriages where both parties were divorced.

There were 5,768 civil marriages last year – about 30% of the total and the same rate as the previous year.

There were 13,156 Roman Catholic weddings (66%) while 448 (2%) were Church of Ireland.

Civil marriage ceremonies were more common for grooms aged 45-plus and brides aged over 40.

July was the most popular month for marriages in 2011, when14% of marriages occurred. Marriages in July, August, and September accounted for almost 40% of the total for the year.

January is the least popular month with 535 (almost 3%) of marriages.

The Iona Institute, which has a pro-marriage stance, said the figures show Ireland is seeing a collapse in marriage and now lags behind the US and Britain.

It said the marriage rate has plunged by more than 40% since 1973, from 7.4 per 1,000 people per year to 4.3 in 2011.

Spokesman David Quinn said marriage in Ireland is not in good health.

“We should care about what is happening, because marriage is espec-ially beneficial from the point of view of children and is also associated with lower levels of poverty. People suffer when marriage goes into decline,” he said.

The institute said the marriage figures should be looked at alongside a rise in cohabitation, increase in divorce, and one third of children being born outside of marriage.