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Published: 21 April 2015

Fall in the number of marriages contracted tapered off

According to Statistics Finland’s data on population changes, 24,462 marriages were entered into in Finland in 2014, which was 657 fewer than in the year before. In 2013, the number went down much more, by nearly 3,800 from the year before. The decrease in the marriage rate concerned almost without exception all age groups. The number of marriages contracted was in 1999 last time lower than in 2014.

Number of marriages and divorces 1965–2014

A majority of the decrease in marriages came from a decline in first marriages as in the previous year. Despite this, the share of first marriages in all marriages remained almost unchanged at around three-quarters. The relative share has remained at the same level throughout the early 2000s. Around one-fifth of all marriages contracted were second marriages.

In 2014, the rise in the average age of women and men entering into their first marriage continued after one intervening year, as the average age of both spouses rose by 0.1 years from the year before. The average age of women entering into their first marriage was 30.7 years and 32.9 years for men.

The number of divorces has long remained at the same level

In 2014, the number of divorces decreased slightly while it had increased in the previous year. Altogether 13,682 marriages ended in divorce, which is 84 fewer than one year previously. The divorce rate has remained at the same level for over 20 years. Changes by age in the divorce rate were minor compared with the previous year.

The average age of women in their first marriage was 39.9 when their marriage ended in divorce. The corresponding average age of men was 42.3 in 2014. In the last few years, there have been no great changes in the average ages of women and men.

Clearly under one-half of first marriages end in divorce.

The probability that the first marriage ends in divorce has remained unchanged in recent years. According to the divorce rate in 2014, first marriages end in divorce with a probability of 39 per cent.

Sixty-eight per cent of the marriages that ended in divorce in 2014 were first marriages for both spouses. The share has remained unchanged compared with the previous year. In 1990, the corresponding percentage was still 80. Eleven per cent of the marriages ending in divorce were second marriages for both spouses in 2014.

A low number of same-sex partnerships are registered per year. In 2014, the registrations numbered 333. Of these, 117 were male couples and 216 female couples. A total of 109 registered same-sex partnerships ended in divorce. Of them, 30 were of male couples and 79 of female couples. In 2013, altogether 373 same-sex partnerships were registered and 101 same-sex partnerships ended in divorce.

Changes in marital status, mean age of men and women at first marriage in 2005–2014

	Year
	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
Contracted marriages	29 283	28 236	29 497	31 014	29 836	29 952	28 408	28 878	25 119	24 462
Divorces	13 383	13 255	13 224	13 471	13 527	13 619	13 469	13 040	13 766	13 682
Woman's mean age at first marriage	29,6	29,7	29,9	30,2	30,2	30,3	30,6	30,8	30,6	30,7
Man's mean age at first marriage	31,8	32,1	32,3	32,5	32,5	32,6	32,9	33,1	32,8	32,9
Woman's mean age at first divorce	40,2	40,4	40,5	40,3	40,0	39,9	40,4	40,0	40,0	39,9
Man's mean age at first divorce	42,5	42,7	42,8	42,5	42,2	42,3	42,7	42,3	42,3	42,3
Registered partnerships	200	191	213	249	246	322	333	329	373	333
Divorces from registered partnerships	31	30	67	45	53	64	85	103	101	109

Source: Population and Justice Statistics. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Timo Nikander 029 551 3250, vaesto.tilasto@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Marriages and divorces 1965 - 2014 (21.4.2015)
• Appendix table 2. Marriages contracted by month 2004 - 2014 (21.4.2015)

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Average age of women by first marriage and first live birth 1982 - 2014 (21.4.2015)
• Appendix figure 2. Marriage rate by age 2010, 2013 and 2014 (21.4.2015)
• Appendix figure 3. Divorce rate by age 1990, 2000, 2013 and 2014 (21.4.2015)

Quality descriptions

• Quality description, changes in marital status (21.4.2015)

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Updated 21.4.2015