Marriages, civil unions, and divorces: Year ended December 2023

Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year.

Key facts

Marriages and civil unions

In 2023:

• 18,744 marriages and civil unions were registered to New Zealand residents. Of these, 483 were same-sex marriages or civil unions.
• The number of marriages and civil unions registered to New Zealand residents was similar to the number in 2022 (18,858).
• 13,827 were first marriages or civil unions, 4,911 were remarriages or civil unions, and 6 couples transferred between a civil union and a marriage.
• The number of marriages and civil unions has dropped significantly since its peak of 27,201 in 1971.
• The general marriage rate was 9.0 marriages and civil unions per 1,000 people aged 16 years and over who are not married or in a civil union (transfers between a marriage and civil union are excluded).
• An additional 2,523 marriages and civil unions were registered to overseas residents. Of these, 207 were same-sex marriages or civil unions.

Divorces

In 2023:

• 7,995 couples were granted divorces in New Zealand.
• There were 7.6 divorces for every 1,000 estimated existing marriages and civil unions, down from 9.3 in 2013.
• 5,901 children under 17 years of age had parents who were granted a divorce, down from 6,294 in 2013, and 9,120 in 2003.

Number of marriages and marriage rate similar to 2022

Couples living in New Zealand registered 18,744 marriages and civil unions in the December 2023 year, similar to the 18,858 in 2022.

In general, the number of marriages and civil unions is generally continuing to decrease. There were fewer marriages in 2023 than in the period before COVID-19 impacted New Zealand (for example, between 2017 and 2019, there were an average of 20,235 marriages and civil unions each year). The low number of marriages and civil unions in 2020 (16,779) and 2021 (15,657) were likely a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions on gatherings.

The general marriage rate in 2023 was 9.0 marriages and civil unions per 1,000 people aged 16 years and over who are not married or in a civil union. This is similar to the 9.3 per 1,000 in 2022, and about one-fifth of the 1971 peak, when the rate was 45.5.

Divorces increase slightly to 7,995

In 2023, the Family Court granted divorces to 7,995 couples. This is equivalent to 7.6 divorces for every 1,000 estimated married or civil union couples.

Although the number of divorces was slightly higher than in 2022 (when there were 7,593 divorces, or a rate of 7.4 per 1,000 estimated existing marriages and civil unions), both the number of divorces and the divorce rate have been generally declining since the early 2000s.

In the early 1980s, the number of divorces rose sharply after the passing of the Family Proceedings Act 1980, which allowed for the dissolution of marriage on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. Divorces recorded a temporary high of 12,396 in 1982. Subsequently, the number fell to 8,556 in 1989 before reaching 10,608 in 2004.

An application for marriage or civil union dissolution can be made by either partner on grounds that the marriage or civil union has broken down irreconcilably, provided a two-year separation requirement is satisfied.

More data

Use Infoshare to select the following categories for marriage, civil union, and divorce tables:

Subject category: Population
Group: Marriage and divorce rates – DMR
Group: Marriages, civil unions, and divorces – VSM

Definitions and metadata

Marriages – DataInfo+ gives the general methodology used to produce marriage statistics, and related metadata.

Civil unions – DataInfo+ gives the general methodology used to produce civil union statistics, and related metadata.

Divorces – DataInfo+ gives the general methodology used to produce divorce statistics, and related metadata.

Technical enquiries

Rebekah Hennessey
04 931 4600
[email protected]

ISSN 1178-055X

Next release

Marriages, civil unions, and divorces: Year ended December 2024 will be released in May 2025.