Marriages, Civil Unions, Divorces: 2024 Year-End Data

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 2024:

• 18,033 marriages and civil unions were registered to Aotearoa New Zealand residents. Of these, 504 were same-sex marriages or civil unions.
• The number of marriages and civil unions was slightly lower than in 2023 (18,744).
• 13,467 were first marriages or civil unions, 4,560 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 8.0 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 2,418 marriages and civil unions were registered to overseas residents. Of these, 225 were same-sex marriages or civil unions.

Divorces

In 2024:

• 7,497 couples were granted divorces in New Zealand.
• There were 7.5 divorces for every 1,000 estimated existing marriages and civil unions, down from 8.6 in 2014.
• 5,685 children under 17 years of age had parents who were granted a divorce, down from 6,024 in 2014, and 9,186 in 2004.

Number of marriages and marriage rate decrease

Couples living in New Zealand registered 18,033 marriages and civil unions in the December 2024 year, down from 18,744 in 2023.

In general, the number of marriages and civil unions is continuing to decrease, with the number in 2024 the lowest annual figure since 1957, not including 2020 and 2021. 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 2024 was 8.0 marriages and civil unions per 1,000 people aged 16 years and over who are not married or in a civil union. This is lower than the rate of 8.6 per 1,000 in 2023, and about one-fifth of the 1971 peak, when the rate was 45.5.

In 2024, 17,532 opposite-sex and 504 same-sex couples living in New Zealand married or formed a civil union.

Divorces decrease slightly to 7,497

In 2024, the Family Court granted divorces to 7,497 couples. This is equivalent to 7.5 divorces for every 1,000 estimated married or civil union couples.

Both the number of divorces and the divorce rate in 2024 were slightly lower than in 2023, when 7,995 divorces were granted and the divorce rate was 8.0 divorces per 1,000 estimated married or civil union couples.

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, falling to 8,556 in 1989 before reaching 10,608 in 2004. The number of divorces and the divorce rate have been generally declining since then.

An application for marriage or civil union dissolution can be made by either partner on the 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
[email protected]
04 931 4600

ISSN 1178-055X

Next release

Marriages, civil unions, and divorces: Year ended December 2025 will be released in May 2026.