Press Release 20/02/2024
MARRIAGE STATISTICS. III/2023
In the third quarter of 2023 there were 2,261 marriages in the Basque Country, 18.2% fewer than the previous year
This was a decrease of 13% compared to 2019
During the third quarter of 2023, the number of marriages in the Basque Country was 2,261, 18.2% fewer than those in the same quarter of the previous year (2,763). Comparing the data from this quarter with that from the same quarter of 2019 reveals a 13% decrease in the number of marriages. This means that marriages postponed because of the pandemic are no longer being celebrated. Of the total number of marriages, 2,195 were different-sex marriages (97.1%) and the other 66 were between people of the same sex (2.9%), 40 between women and 26 between men.
Taking into account the province where the marriage was registered, the number of marriages decreased in all three provinces: there were 999 weddings in Álava, 765 in Gipuzkoa and 310 in Bizkaia. Meanwhile, 187 couples registered their marriage outside the Basque Country. In terms of months, September stands out with 45.9% of this quarter’s weddings.
During the summer months of 2023, the percentage of civil weddings was 87% where 84.1% corresponded to opposite sex couples and 2.9% of the total number of marriages were between same sex couples, all of which were civil. In 2023 this percentage was 0.5 points higher than that observed in the same quarter of 2022.
Of the 2,261 marriages in the third quarter of 2023, 2,068 women and 2,044 men resident in the Basque Country got married. For 1,742 husbands (85.2%) this was their first marriage, whilst 14 widowers and 288 divorcees remarried. The percentage of first marriages for women was higher than for men: 1,782 (86.2%) single women got married, as well as 9 widows and 277 divorcees.
The percentage of foreign nationals entering into marriage increased
As regards the distribution according to the age of the couple, 90.4% of husbands and 84.6% of wives were over 30. In the same period of 2022, this proportion was 91.6% for men and 84.6% for women.
In the months of July, August and September 2023, 13.9% of recently married men and 19% of recently married women were foreign nationals. Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, this percentage has increased by 3.8 percentage points for men and 3.4 for women.
Marriages of residents by territory of registration, type of marriage, form of celebration, previous marital status, age and month of marriage (1). 2023/III
| | III/2023 | II/2023 | III/2022 |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase % | NO. | % | Increase % |
| Marriages | 2.261 | 100,0 | 2.275 | 100,0 | -0,6 | 2.763 | 100,0 | -18,2 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Araba / Álava | 310 | 13,7 | 281 | 12,4 | 10,3 | 397 | 14,4 | -21,9 |
| Bizkaia | 999 | 44,2 | 1.058 | 46,5 | -5,6 | 1.181 | 42,7 | -15,4 |
| Gipuzkoa | 765 | 33,8 | 770 | 33,8 | -0,6 | 902 | 32,6 | -15,2 |
| Outside of the Basque Country | 187 | 8,3 | 166 | 7,3 | 12,7 | 283 | 10,2 | -33,9 |
| Between people of different sex | 2.195 | 97,1 | 2.193 | 96,4 | 0,1 | 2.666 | 96,5 | -17,7 |
| Canonic | 293 | 13,0 | 198 | 8,7 | 48,0 | 372 | 13,5 | -21,2 |
| Civilians | 1.902 | 84,1 | 1.995 | 87,7 | -4,7 | 2.294 | 83,0 | -17,1 |
| Between people of the same sex | 66 | 2,9 | 82 | 3,6 | -19,5 | 97 | 3,5 | -32,0 |
| Between men | 26 | 1,1 | 33 | 1,5 | -21,2 | 47 | 1,7 | -44,7 |
| Between women | 40 | 1,8 | 49 | 2,2 | -18,4 | 50 | 1,8 | -20,0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Spouses M | 2.044 | 100,0 | 2.081 | 100,0 | -1,8 | 2.449 | 100,0 | -16,5 |
| Single | 1.742 | 85,2 | 1.787 | 85,9 | -2,5 | 2.112 | 86,2 | -17,5 |
| Widowed | 14 | 0,7 | 18 | 0,9 | -22,2 | 21 | 0,9 | -33,3 |
| Divorced | 288 | 14,1 | 276 | 13,3 | 4,3 | 316 | 12,9 | -8,9 |
| < 30 years | 197 | 9,6 | 179 | 8,6 | 10,1 | 206 | 8,4 | -4,4 |
| 30 - 39 years | 928 | 45,4 | 880 | 42,3 | 5,5 | 1.177 | 48,1 | -21,2 |
| = 40 years | 919 | 45,0 | 1.022 | 49,1 | -10,1 | 1.066 | 43,5 | -13,8 |
| Spanish nationality | 1.760 | 86,1 | 1.829 | 87,9 | -3,8 | 2.202 | 89,9 | -20,1 |
| Foreign nationality | 284 | 13,9 | 252 | 12,1 | 12,7 | 247 | 10,1 | 15,0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Spouses F | 2.068 | 100,0 | 2.111 | 100,0 | -2,0 | 2.459 | 100,0 | -15,9 |
| Single | 1.782 | 86,2 | 1.794 | 85,0 | -0,7 | 2.136 | 86,9 | -16,6 |
| Widowed | 9 | 0,4 | 6 | 0,3 | 50,0 | 4 | 0,2 | 125,0 |
| Divorced | 277 | 13,4 | 311 | 14,7 | -10,9 | 319 | 13,0 | -13,2 |
| < 30 years | 318 | 15,4 | 282 | 13,4 | 12,8 | 379 | 15,4 | -16,1 |
| 30 - 39 years | 1.008 | 48,7 | 960 | 45,5 | 5,0 | 1.210 | 49,2 | -16,7 |
| = 40 years | 742 | 35,9 | 869 | 41,2 | -14,6 | 870 | 35,4 | -14,7 |
| Spanish nationality | 1.676 | 81,0 | 1.781 | 84,4 | -5,9 | 2.076 | 84,4 | -19,3 |
| Foreign nationality | 392 | 19,0 | 330 | 15,6 | 18,8 | 383 | 15,6 | 2,3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Month of marriage | | | | | | | | |
| July | 959 | 42,4 | | | | 1.203 | 43,5 | -20,3 |
| August | 264 | 11,7 | | | | 466 | 16,9 | -43,3 |
| September | 1.038 | 45,9 | | | | 1.094 | 39,6 | -5,1 |
(1)The data for the current and previous quarters are provisional. The variations are over the current quarter
Date Februay 20, 2024
Source: Eustat Marriage statistics
For further information:
Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tel.: 945 01 75 62