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Key Points
- A total of 1,773 couples wed on 24 February, or 24/02/24.
- Australia saw a 2% rise in marriages in 2024 compared to the year before.
- In 2024, there was a divorce rate of 2.1 per 1,000 individuals.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Australian marriages in 2024, published this week, revealed 1,773 ceremonies were held on the final Saturday of the 2023/2024 summer.
Save the date
While more than 1 per cent of couples who wed in 2024 did so on 24 February, it was not the only popular matrimonial date.
The most popular date to get married last year was 24 February 2024, with 1,773 marriages. Source: SBS News
Another easy-to-remember or numerically satisfying date that was popular was 24/04/24. Although Fridays and Saturdays were most popular for weddings, one Thursday recorded a spike in wedding numbers in 2024.
Marriages in Australia in 2024
According to the data on marriages, most took place during spring or autumn.
The median age for women to marry remained steady at 31.2 years, while the median age for men was 32.8 years.
There were 120,844 marriages registered in Australia in 2024, a 2 per cent increase from those registered in 2023. Source: SBS News
Same-sex or gender-diverse couples made up almost 4 per cent of the marriages recorded last year.
The ABS describes 2024 marriage figures as “comparable to the pre-pandemic rate in 2019 of 5.6 marriages per 1,000 people”.
The rise in marriage numbers recorded in these two states and Western Australia contributed to the overall national increase in last year’s statistics, with other states and territories experiencing declines.
Correction may not continue into 2025
Celebrant and WA Wedding Association secretary Candice Bydder indicated that while 2024 showed a small rise in marriages nationally, it’s likely the continuation of a ‘correction’ that began in the industry in 2022, following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Celebrant Candice Bydder, who married Andy and Anh Tran on 24 February last year, said while there was an increase in marriages recorded last year, it appeared as if the industry may have slowed down a little during the first half of 2025. Source: Supplied / BKD Media
Bydder said anecdotally it appeared as if that correction may be slowing in 2025, and the weddings taking place so far this year have shown a trend towards “lighter spending”.
“That might be a bit about the cost of living, but also just people wanting to spend that money elsewhere,” Bydder said.
Divorce in 2024
A total of 47,216 divorces were granted in Australia, which was a 3 per cent decrease from the 48,700 divorces granted in 2023.
A total of 47,216 divorces were granted in Australia, down 3 per cent from the 48,700 divorces granted in 2023. Source: SBS News
The crude divorce rate was 2.1 divorces per 1,000 people, down from 2.3 in 2023.
