Last Year, 192,000 Marriages Recorded 'All-Time Low'... Decline Continues for 11 Years

2022 Marriage and Divorce Statistics
Decline in Marriages Sharpest Among Late 20s
Divorces Also Decreased by 8,000 Compared to Previous Year

Last year, the number of marriages was only 192,000, the lowest ever recorded. In particular, the decline was steep among those in their late 20s. Since the number of marriages also affects the birth rate, the already record-low low birthrate problem is likely to worsen.

On the 16th, Statistics Korea released the "2022 Marriage and Divorce Statistics" containing this information.

According to the report, the number of marriages in 2022 was 191,690, a 0.4% decrease from the previous year. The downward trend that began in 2012 continued for the 11th consecutive year, marking the lowest since statistics began in 1970.

The crude marriage rate, which is the number of marriages per 1,000 people, also fell to 3.7 last year, down 0.1 from the previous year, marking the lowest level as well. Both men and women in their late 20s experienced the sharpest decline in the number of marriages. The number of marriages decreased by 3,000 (-8.4%) for men and 5,000 (-7.2%) for women.

For men, the number of marriages decreased among those aged 34 and under compared to the previous year, while it increased among those aged 35 and over. The largest increase was seen in the early 40s age group (10.0%). For women, the number of marriages increased in all age groups except for those in their late 20s, late 40s, and early 50s.

Average Age at First Marriage by Gender.

As a result, the average age at marriage increased. Last year, the average age at first marriage was 33.7 years for men and 31.3 years for women, rising by 0.4 years for men and 0.2 years for women compared to the previous year. By region, Seoul had the highest average age for men at 34.2 years, and Chungbuk had the lowest at 33.2 years. For women, Seoul was also highest at 32.2 years, and Chungbuk was lowest at 30.6 years.

By region, the number of marriages decreased in eight regions including Busan (-4.2%) and Seoul (-3.4%) compared to the previous year, while it increased in nine regions including Chungbuk (5.2%) and Daejeon (4.5%).

The crude marriage rate was highest in Sejong (4.4), Jeju (4.0), and Gyeonggi (4.0), and lowest in Jeonbuk (3.0), Gyeongbuk (3.1), and Daegu (3.2).

Im Young-il, head of the Population Trends Division at Statistics Korea, said, "One of the reasons for the significant decrease in the number of marriages is the demographic change with a declining population aged 25-49 and changing values toward marriage. Since 72.5% of births occur within five years after marriage as of 2022, a decrease in marriages can be expected to affect birth rates as well."

The number of divorces in 2022 was 93,000, down 8.3% (-8,000) from the previous year. The crude divorce rate (number of divorces per 1,000 people) was 1.8, a decrease of 0.2 from the previous year.

The average age at divorce for men was 49.9 years, down 0.2 years from the previous year but up 4.0 years compared to ten years ago. For women, the average age at divorce was 46.6 years, down 0.1 years from the previous year but up 4.6 years compared to ten years ago.

The number of divorces decreased across all durations of marriage compared to the previous year. The duration of marriage refers to the cohabitation period from the start of actual married life, regardless of legal marriage status, until de facto divorce (separation). The average duration of marriage for divorced couples was 17 years, down 0.3 years from the previous year but up 3.3 years compared to ten years ago.

Divorces involving couples with minor children accounted for 39,000 cases last year, representing 41.7% of all divorces, and this number continues to decline. Mutual consent divorces were 72,000, and contested divorces were 21,000, decreasing by 8.9% and 6.2% respectively compared to the previous year.