Last Year, 193,000 Marriages 'All-Time Low'... 32% Sharp Decline in 5 Years

2021 Marriage and Divorce Statistics

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Son Seonhee] Last year, the number of marriages fell below 100,000 for the first time ever, marking a record low. While the trend shows a decline in the number of marriages, the decrease has accelerated sharply in the past five years, dropping by more than 30%.

According to the '2021 Marriage and Divorce Statistics' released by Statistics Korea on the 17th, the number of marriages last year was 193,000, down 9.8% (-21,000) from the previous year. This is the lowest since related statistics began being compiled in 1970.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the number of marriages hovered around 400,000, but it dropped to 300,000 in 2003 and further declined to 282,000 in 2016. Last year, it fell to the 190,000 range, dropping to the 100,000 range in just five years. The decrease over the past five years amounts to about 32%.

Marriage numbers decreased across all age groups under 60, with the largest declines among men in their early 30s and women in their late 20s. For men in their early 30s, the number dropped by 8,000 (-10.3%), and for women in their late 20s, it decreased by 11,000 (-14.4%).

The crude marriage rate, which indicates the number of marriages per 1,000 people, also hit a record low last year at 3.8, down 0.4 from the previous year.

The average age at first marriage last year was 33.4 years for men and 31.1 years for women, rising by 0.1 and 0.3 years respectively. Compared to ten years ago, men are marrying 1.5 years later and women 1.9 years later. In other words, people are getting married increasingly later than in the past.

No Hyungjun, head of the Population Trends Division at Statistics Korea, said, "The recent sharp decline in marriages can be attributed to the decrease in the population of people in their 30s, who are the main age group for marriage, changes in the values of unmarried men and women regarding marriage, delays in marriage due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a decrease in international marriages."

However, he added, "Once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, there is potential for an increase in delayed marriages, and since the population in their early 30s is expected to increase somewhat, it is difficult to predict the future decline in the number of marriages."

Last year, the number of divorces was 102,000, down 4.5% from the previous year. The average age at divorce was 50.1 years for men and 46.8 years for women, each rising by 0.8 years compared to the previous year.

The distribution of divorces by duration of marriage was as follows: 0?4 years (18.8%), 30 years or more (17.6%), and 5?9 years (17.1%). Divorces among couples married for 30 years or more increased by 7.5% compared to the previous year, while all other durations saw decreases. As the number of marriages declines, the number of divorces naturally follows a downward trend; however, with increasing life expectancy, divorces among the elderly are on the rise.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.