Press release 26/11/2024
MARRIAGE STATISTICS. II/2024
There were 2,356 marriages in the Basque Country in the second quarter, up 2.7% on the previous year
This was an 8% increase compared to 2019
The number of marriages in the Basque Country during the second quarter of 2024 rose to 2,356, which was 2.7% more than in the same quarter of the previous year (2,293), according to Eustat data. Of the total number of marriages, 2,266 were different-sex marriages (96.2%) and the other 90 were between people of the same sex (3.8%), 49 between women and 41 between men.
As usual, the number of weddings rose considerably in the second quarter compared to the first quarter. Meanwhile, 44.7% of weddings in this quarter were celebrated in June. If we compare data from this quarter with data from the same quarter of 2019, the year before the pandemic, there was an 8% increase.
Considering the province where the marriage was registered, the number of marriages increased in Álava and Bizkaia, with 340 and 1,131 weddings respectively, while this decreased in Gipuzkoa with 758 marriages. Meanwhile, 127 marriages were registered outside the Basque Country.
During the spring months of 2024, the percentage of civil weddings was 93%, 89.2% corresponded to different-sex couples and 3.8% of the total number of marriages were between same sex couples, all of which were civil. This percentage was 1.9 points higher than that observed in the same quarter of 2023.
Of the 2,356 weddings in the second quarter of 2024, 2,221 men and 2,233 women resident in the Basque Country married. For 1,839 husbands (82.8%) this was their first marriage, whilst 15 widowers and 367 divorcees remarried. As regards women, there were 1875 single women who married (84%), 11 widows and 347 divorcees.
92% of husbands and 86.8% of wives were aged 30 or over
With respect to the distribution according to the age of the couple, 92% of husbands and 86.8% of wives were 30 or over. In the same period of 2023, this proportion was 91.4% for men and 86.7% for women.
In the months of April, May and June 2024, 14.7% of recently married men and 19.3% of recently married women were foreign nationals. Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, this percentage has increased by 2.7 percentage points for men and 3.7 for women.
Marriages of residents by territory of registration, type of marriage, form of celebration, previous marital status, age and month of marriage (1). 2024/II
| | II/2024 | I/2024 | II/2023 |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase % | NO. | % | Increase % |
| Marriages | 2.356 | 100,0 | 1.064 | 100,0 | 121,4 | 2.293 | 100,0 | 2,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Araba / Álava | 340 | 14,4 | 140 | 13,2 | 142,9 | 280 | 12,2 | 21,4 |
| Bizkaia | 1.131 | 48,0 | 520 | 48,9 | 117,5 | 1.062 | 46,3 | 6,5 |
| Gipuzkoa | 758 | 32,2 | 355 | 33,4 | 113,5 | 775 | 33,8 | -2,2 |
| Outside of the Basque Country | 127 | 5,4 | 49 | 4,6 | 159,2 | 176 | 7,7 | -27,8 |
| Between people of different sex | 2.266 | 96,2 | 1.026 | 96,4 | 120,9 | 2.211 | 96,4 | 2,5 |
| Canonic | 165 | 7,0 | 24 | 2,3 | 587,5 | 204 | 8,9 | -19,1 |
| Civilians | 2.101 | 89,2 | 1.002 | 94,2 | 109,7 | 2.007 | 87,5 | 4,7 |
| Between people of the same sex | 90 | 3,8 | 38 | 3,6 | 136,8 | 82 | 3,6 | 9,8 |
| Between men | 41 | 1,7 | 20 | 1,9 | 105,0 | 33 | 1,4 | 24,2 |
| Between women | 49 | 2,1 | 18 | 1,7 | 172,2 | 49 | 2,1 | 0,0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Spouses M | 2.221 | 100,0 | 1.013 | 100,0 | 119,2 | 2.088 | 100,0 | 6,4 |
| Single | 1.839 | 82,8 | 805 | 79,5 | 128,4 | 1.794 | 85,9 | 2,5 |
| Widowed | 15 | 0,7 | 19 | 1,9 | -21,1 | 18 | 0,9 | -16,7 |
| Divorced | 367 | 16,5 | 189 | 18,7 | 94,2 | 276 | 13,2 | 33,0 |
| < 30 years | 177 | 8,0 | 97 | 9,6 | 82,5 | 179 | 8,6 | -1,1 |
| 30 - 39 years | 886 | 39,9 | 369 | 36,4 | 140,1 | 882 | 42,2 | 0,5 |
| = 40 years | 1.158 | 52,1 | 547 | 54,0 | 111,7 | 1.027 | 49,2 | 12,8 |
| Spanish nationality | 1.895 | 85,3 | 762 | 75,2 | 148,7 | 1.837 | 88,0 | 3,2 |
| Foreign nationality | 326 | 14,7 | 251 | 24,8 | 29,9 | 251 | 12,0 | 29,9 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Spouses F | 2.233 | 100,0 | 1.011 | 100,0 | 120,9 | 2.118 | 100,0 | 5,4 |
| Single | 1.875 | 84,0 | 797 | 78,8 | 135,3 | 1.801 | 85,0 | 4,1 |
| Widowed | 11 | 0,5 | 13 | 1,3 | -15,4 | 6 | 0,3 | 83,3 |
| Divorced | 347 | 15,5 | 201 | 19,9 | 72,6 | 311 | 14,7 | 11,6 |
| < 30 years | 294 | 13,2 | 141 | 13,9 | 108,5 | 281 | 13,3 | 4,6 |
| 30 - 39 years | 977 | 43,8 | 421 | 41,6 | 132,1 | 962 | 45,4 | 1,6 |
| = 40 years | 962 | 43,1 | 449 | 44,4 | 114,3 | 875 | 41,3 | 9,9 |
| Spanish nationality | 1.801 | 80,7 | 692 | 68,4 | 160,3 | 1.788 | 84,4 | 0,7 |
| Foreign nationality | 432 | 19,3 | 319 | 31,6 | 35,4 | 330 | 15,6 | 30,9 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Month of marriage | | | | | | | | |
| April | 528 | 22,4 | | | | 451 | 19,7 | 17,1 |
| May | 774 | 32,9 | | | | 779 | 34,0 | -0,6 |
| June | 1.054 | 44,7 | | | | 1.063 | 46,4 | -0,8 |
(1)The data for the current and previous quarters are provisional. The variations are over the current quarter
Date November 26, 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