Press Release 23/09/2024
MARRIAGE STATISTICS. I/2024
There were 1,058 marriages in the Basque Country in the first quarter of 2024, down 2.8% on the previous year
In February marriages were up 33.2%
The number of marriages in the Basque Country during the first quarter of 2024 rose to 1,058, 2.8% down on those in the same quarter of the previous year (1,089), according to Eustat data. 355 marriages were registered in Gipuzkoa, 3.5% more than a year ago; there were 518 marriages in Bizkaia, down 3.2%; and 140 in Álava, a fall of 7.9%. The remainder (45 marriages) were registered outside of the Basque Country. In comparison with the total number of marriages in the same quarter of 2019 there was an increase of 4.2%.
Of the total number of marriages, 1,020 were different-sex marriages (96.4%) and the other 38 were between people of the same sex (3.6%), 20 between men and 18 between women. Meanwhile, civil weddings rose by 97.9%. This percentage was 96.2% in the same quarter of 2023.
By months, in January and March the number of marriages fell by 4.3% and 18.2%, respectively. In contrast, in February weddings increased by 33.2% in respect of February 2023.
90.4% of husbands and 86% of wives were aged 30 or over
In the 1,058 weddings in the first quarter of 2024, 1,011 men and 1,009 women resident in the Basque Country entered into marriage; the remainder of the spouses resided outside of the Basque Country. For 803 spouses (79.4%) this was their first marriage, whilst 189 divorcees (18.7%) and 19 widowers (1.9%) remarried. The percentage of women entering into their first marriage was lower than that of men, standing at 795 (78.8%); the number of divorcees rose to 201 (19.9%) and the number of widows stood at 13 (1.3%).
As regards the distribution of marriages according to the age of the couples, 90.4% of husbands were aged 30 or over, whilst this percentage reached only 86% for wives. Compared to the same period of the previous year, this proportion rose for both men (89.6% in 2023) and women (84% in 2023).
The percentage of foreign nationals entering into marriage increased
In the first quarter of 2024, 31.6% of recently married women and 24.8% of recently married men were foreign nationals. These percentages increased in comparison with the same period in 2023, for both wives and husbands, when they were 27.4% and 20.3%, respectively.
Marriages of residents by territory of registration, type of marriage, form of celebration, previous marital status, age and month of marriage (1). 2024/I
| | I/2024 | IV/2023 | I/2023 |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase % | NO. | % | Increase % |
| Marriages | 1.058 | 100,0 | 1.517 | 100,0 | -30,3 | 1.089 | 100,0 | -2,8 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Araba / Álava | 140 | 13,2 | 157 | 10,3 | -10,8 | 152 | 14,0 | -7,9 |
| Bizkaia | 518 | 49,0 | 764 | 50,4 | -32,2 | 535 | 49,1 | -3,2 |
| Gipuzkoa | 355 | 33,6 | 490 | 32,3 | -27,6 | 343 | 31,5 | 3,5 |
| Outside of the Basque Country | 45 | 4,3 | 106 | 7,0 | -57,5 | 59 | 5,4 | -23,7 |
| Between people of different sex | 1.020 | 96,4 | 1.466 | 96,6 | -30,4 | 1.046 | 96,1 | -2,5 |
| Canonic | 22 | 2,1 | 110 | 7,3 | -80,0 | 41 | 3,8 | -46,3 |
| Civilians | 998 | 94,3 | 1.356 | 89,4 | -26,4 | 1.005 | 92,3 | -0,7 |
| Between people of the same sex | 38 | 3,6 | 51 | 3,4 | -25,5 | 43 | 3,9 | -11,6 |
| Between men | 20 | 1,9 | 27 | 1,8 | -25,9 | 20 | 1,8 | 0,0 |
| Between women | 18 | 1,7 | 24 | 1,6 | -25,0 | 23 | 2,1 | -21,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Spouses M | 1.011 | 100,0 | 1.405 | 100,0 | -28,0 | 1.023 | 100,0 | -1,2 |
| Single | 803 | 79,4 | 1.169 | 83,2 | -31,3 | 812 | 79,4 | -1,1 |
| Widowed | 19 | 1,9 | 10 | 0,7 | 90,0 | 16 | 1,6 | 18,8 |
| Divorced | 189 | 18,7 | 226 | 16,1 | -16,4 | 195 | 19,1 | -3,1 |
| < 30 years | 97 | 9,6 | 123 | 8,8 | -21,1 | 106 | 10,4 | -8,5 |
| 30 - 39 years | 367 | 36,3 | 580 | 41,3 | -36,7 | 397 | 38,8 | -7,6 |
| = 40 years | 547 | 54,1 | 702 | 50,0 | -22,1 | 520 | 50,8 | 5,2 |
| Spanish nationality | 760 | 75,2 | 1.121 | 79,8 | -32,2 | 815 | 79,7 | -6,7 |
| Foreign nationality | 251 | 24,8 | 284 | 20,2 | -11,6 | 208 | 20,3 | 20,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Spouses F | 1.009 | 100,0 | 1.403 | 100,0 | -28,1 | 1.031 | 100,0 | -2,1 |
| Single | 795 | 78,8 | 1.155 | 82,3 | -31,2 | 815 | 79,0 | -2,5 |
| Widowed | 13 | 1,3 | 7 | 0,5 | 85,7 | 13 | 1,3 | 0,0 |
| Divorced | 201 | 19,9 | 241 | 17,2 | -16,6 | 203 | 19,7 | -1,0 |
| < 30 years | 141 | 14,0 | 192 | 13,7 | -26,6 | 165 | 16,0 | -14,5 |
| 30 - 39 years | 419 | 41,5 | 629 | 44,8 | -33,4 | 420 | 40,7 | -0,2 |
| = 40 years | 449 | 44,5 | 582 | 41,5 | -22,9 | 446 | 43,3 | 0,7 |
| Spanish nationality | 690 | 68,4 | 1.057 | 75,3 | -34,7 | 748 | 72,6 | -7,8 |
| Foreign nationality | 319 | 31,6 | 346 | 24,7 | -7,8 | 283 | 27,4 | 12,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Month of marriage | | | | | | | | |
| January | 268 | 25,3 | | | | 280 | 25,7 | -4,3 |
| February | 333 | 31,5 | | | | 250 | 23,0 | 33,2 |
| March | 457 | 43,2 | | | | 559 | 51,3 | -18,2 |
(1)The data for the current and previous quarters are provisional. The variations are over the current quarter
Date September 23, 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