23% of marriages take place in registry offices

ALMOST a quarter of all marriage ceremonies take place in a registry office, a dramatic change from the situation in the 1990s.

New figures released by the Central Statistics Office, based on a study of the decade 1996 to 2006, show that 23% of marriages are solemnised in a civic office and not in a church, temple or other place of worship.

The number of Catholic Church ceremonies has also shown a marked change over the decade, down from 90% in 1996 to 73% in 2006.