Press Release 18/02/2025
MARRIAGE STATISTICS. III/2024
In the third quarter of 2024 there were 2,263 marriages in the Basque Country, 4% fewer than the previous year
45.7% of weddings in this quarter took place in September
During the third quarter of 2024, the number of marriages in the Basque Country amounted to 2,263, 4% fewer than those in the same quarter of the previous year (2,358 weddings). Of the total number of marriages, 2,190 were different-sex marriages and the other 73 were between people of the same sex, 41 between women and 32 between men.
Taking into account the province where the marriage was registered, the number of marriages decreased to 989 (-3.6%) in Bizkaia and to 753 (-2.5%) in Gipuzkoa. In Álava there were 341 weddings, an increase of 7.6%. Meanwhile, 180 couples registered their marriage outside the Basque Country. In terms of months, September stands out with 45.7% of this quarter’s weddings.
During the summer months of 2024, the percentage of civil weddings was 89.2%; 86% corresponded to opposite sex couples and 3.2% of the total number of marriages were between same sex couples, all of which were civil. In 2024 this percentage was 3.3 points higher than that observed in the same quarter of 2023.
Of the 2,263 marriages in the third quarter of 2024, 2,081 women and 2,059 men resident in the Basque Country got married. For 1,730 husbands (84%) this was their first marriage, whilst 24 widowers and 305 divorcees remarried. The percentage of first marriages for women was higher than for men: 1,776 (85.3%) single women got married, as well as 8 widows and 297 divorcees.
92% of husbands and 84% of wives were aged 30 or over
With respect to the distribution according to the age of the couple, 91.9% of husbands and 84.1% of wives were aged 30 or over. In the same period of 2023, this proportion was 90.2% for men and 84.6% for women.
In the months of July, August and September 2024, 15% of recently married men and 20.5% of recently married women were foreign nationals. Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, this percentage has increased by 1.5 percentage points for men and 1.7 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/III
| | III/2024 | II/2024 | III/2023 |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase % | NO. | % | Increase % |
| Marriages | 2.263 | 100,0 | 2.396 | 100,0 | -5,6 | 2.358 | 100,0 | -4,0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Araba / Álava | 341 | 15,1 | 343 | 14,3 | -0,6 | 317 | 13,4 | 7,6 |
| Bizkaia | 989 | 43,7 | 1.142 | 47,7 | -13,4 | 1.026 | 43,5 | -3,6 |
| Gipuzkoa | 753 | 33,3 | 759 | 31,7 | -0,8 | 772 | 32,8 | -2,5 |
| Outside of the Basque Country | 180 | 7,9 | 152 | 6,3 | 18,4 | 243 | 10,3 | -25,9 |
| Between people of different sex | 2.190 | 96,8 | 2.305 | 96,2 | -5,0 | 2.292 | 97,2 | -4,5 |
| Canonic | 243 | 10,8 | 178 | 7,4 | 36,5 | 332 | 14,1 | -26,8 |
| Civilians | 1.947 | 86,0 | 2.127 | 88,8 | -8,5 | 1.960 | 83,1 | -0,7 |
| Between people of the same sex | 73 | 3,2 | 91 | 3,8 | -19,8 | 66 | 2,8 | 10,6 |
| Between men | 32 | 1,4 | 42 | 1,8 | -23,8 | 26 | 1,1 | 23,1 |
| Between women | 41 | 1,8 | 49 | 2,0 | -16,3 | 40 | 1,7 | 2,5 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Spouses M | 2.059 | 100,0 | 2.236 | 100,0 | -7,9 | 2.082 | 100,0 | -1,1 |
| Single | 1.730 | 84,0 | 1.852 | 82,8 | -6,6 | 1.775 | 85,2 | -2,5 |
| Widowed | 24 | 1,2 | 15 | 0,7 | 60,0 | 14 | 0,7 | 71,4 |
| Divorced | 305 | 14,8 | 369 | 16,5 | -17,3 | 293 | 14,1 | 4,1 |
| < 30 years | 168 | 8,1 | 179 | 8,0 | -6,1 | 204 | 9,8 | -17,6 |
| 30 - 39 years | 916 | 44,5 | 893 | 39,9 | 2,6 | 946 | 45,4 | -3,2 |
| = 40 years | 975 | 47,4 | 1.164 | 52,1 | -16,2 | 932 | 44,8 | 4,6 |
| Spanish nationality | 1.750 | 85,0 | 1.908 | 85,3 | -8,3 | 1.800 | 86,5 | -2,8 |
| Foreign nationality | 309 | 15,0 | 328 | 14,7 | -5,8 | 282 | 13,5 | 9,6 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Spouses F | 2.081 | 100,0 | 2.248 | 100,0 | -7,4 | 2.106 | 100,0 | -1,2 |
| Single | 1.776 | 85,3 | 1.889 | 84,0 | -6,0 | 1.814 | 86,1 | -2,1 |
| Widowed | 8 | 0,4 | 11 | 0,5 | -27,3 | 9 | 0,4 | -11,1 |
| Divorced | 297 | 14,3 | 348 | 15,5 | -14,7 | 283 | 13,5 | 4,9 |
| < 30 years | 330 | 15,9 | 297 | 13,2 | 11,1 | 324 | 15,4 | 1,9 |
| 30 - 39 years | 912 | 43,8 | 982 | 43,7 | -7,1 | 1.025 | 48,7 | -11,0 |
| = 40 years | 839 | 40,3 | 969 | 43,1 | -13,4 | 757 | 35,9 | 10,8 |
| Spanish nationality | 1.654 | 79,5 | 1.812 | 80,6 | -8,7 | 1.711 | 81,2 | -3,3 |
| Foreign nationality | 427 | 20,5 | 436 | 19,4 | -2,1 | 395 | 18,8 | 8,1 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Month of marriage | | | | | | | | |
| July | 868 | 38,3 | | | | 981 | 41,6 | -11,5 |
| August | 361 | 16,0 | | | | 285 | 12,1 | 26,7 |
| September | 1.034 | 45,7 | | | | 1.092 | 46,3 | -5,3 |
(1)The data for the current and previous quarters are provisional. The variations are over the current quarter
Date Februay 18, 2025
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