3310.0 - Marriages and Divorces, Australia, 2011  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 30/11/2012   
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NOTES


MARRIAGES AND DIVORCES, AUSTRALIA

The Marriages and Divorces, Australia, 2011 (cat. no. 3310.0) product provides data and information about marriages registered and divorces granted in Australia in 2011. Data is presented on a State or Territory of registration basis rather than a State or Territory of usual residence basis. Explanatory Notes 23 to 30 provide further information.

Marriage statistics presented in this electronic product present data at the State, Territory and national level on the number of marriages registered, crude marriage rates, median age at marriage, age-specific marriage rates, previous marital status, use of marriage celebrants, country of birth of those marrying, and living arrangements for couples prior to marriage.

Divorce statistics in this publication provide State, Territory and national data regarding the number of divorces granted, crude divorce rates, ages at marriage, separation and divorce, age-specific divorce rates, divorces involving children, duration of marriage prior to divorce, and applicants for divorce.

Detailed marriage and divorce tables are available in the data cubes which can be accessed through the 'Downloads' tab at the top of this page. Explanatory notes, abbreviations and a glossary of terms can be accessed through the 'Explanatory Notes' tab.

This product replaces both Marriages, Australia (cat. no. 3306.0.55.001) and Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3307.0.55.001) from 2008 onwards. Marriage data between 2003 and 2007 can be found in the electronic product Marriages, Australia (cat. no. 3306.0.55.001) and divorce data between 2002 and 2007 can be found in the electronic product Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3307.0.55.001).


INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.


SUMMARY COMMENTARY


SUMMARY COMMENTARY

MARRIAGES

In 2011, there were 121,752 marriages registered in Australia, an increase of 576 (0.5%) from the 121,176 marriages registered in 2010.

Despite the increase in the number of marriages, the crude marriage rate for 2011 is unchanged from 2010, remaining at 5.4 marriages per 1,000 estimated resident population.

The median age of males and females at marriage was 31.4 and 29.3 years respectively in 2011. The median age at marriage for males in 2011 remains the same as was reported in 2010, while the female median age at marriage increased by 0.1 years.

The proportion of marriage ceremonies performed by civil celebrants has continued to increase in 2011, with civil celebrants performing 70.1% of all registered marriage ceremonies, an increase from 69.2% in 2010.

Couples who lived together prior to marriage accounted for 78.2% of all marriages registered in 2011, a slight decrease from the 78.6% registered in 2010.

The proportion of marriages where both partners married for the first time increased again in 2011, to 71.3% of all marriages. Marriages where only one partner was marrying for the first time has generally been decreasing over time, despite this an increase was reported in 2011, up to 16.8% from 16.6% reported in 2010. The proportion of marriages which are remarriages for both partners, continues to decrease over the time series, decreasing to 11.9% of all marriages in 2011 from 12.1% in 2010.

In 2011, 55.8% of couples married were both born in Australia, 31.6% were born in different countries, and 12.6% were born in the same overseas country.

1.1 Selected marriage indicators(a), Australia - Selected years - 1991-2011

1991
2001
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011

Marriages registered no.
113 905
103 130
116 322
118 756
120 118
121 176
121 752
Crude marriage rate(b)
7.6
5.3
5.5
5.5
5.5
5.4
5.4
Median age at marriage
Males years
28.4
30.6
31.6
31.5
31.4
31.4
31.4
Females years
26.0
28.6
29.3
29.3
29.2
29.2
29.3
Previous marital status
First marriage both partners no.
77 640
68 987
80 347
82 847
84 780
86 330
86 862
First marriage one partner no.
20 488
18 889
20 023
19 969
20 107
20 128
20 416
Remarriage both partners no.
15 777
15 254
15 952
15 940
15 231
14 718
14 474
Marriage celebrant
Ministers of religion(c)
Number of marriages no.
71 063
48 372
43 077
41 545
39 740
37 251
36 372
Proportion of marriages %
62.4
46.9
37.0
35.0
33.1
30.7
29.9
Civil celebrants
Number of marriages no.
42 842
54 758
73 187
77 142
80 340
83 800
85 311
Proportion of marriages %
37.6
53.1
62.9
64.9
66.9
69.2
70.1
Relative birthplace of male and female(d)
Both born in Australia no.
71 878
64 373
70 347
70 521
69 643
68 588
67 882
Both born in the same overseas country no.
9 008
8 611
11 101
12 460
14 210
14 585
15 321
Born in different countries no.
32 977
30 130
34 759
35 629
36 185
37 925
38 487
Cohabitation prior to marriage
Number of marriages no.
na
74 244
89 364
92 220
92 978
95 194
95 228
Proportion of marriages %
na
72.0
76.8
77.6
77.4
78.6
78.2

na not available
(a) See Glossary for definitions of terms used.
(b) Marriages per 1,000 of estimated resident population at 30 June for each reference year respectively. See Glossary and Explanatory Notes 32 and 38-40 for further information.
(c) Excludes marriages where the rite is not stated or not defined. Registers of ministers of religion are maintained by States and Territories under the authority of the Marriage Act 1961. Data on religious marriage rites are classified to the Australian Standard Classification of Religious Groups, 2011 (ASCRG, cat 1266.0).
(d) Excludes marriages where country of birth of one or both partners is not stated.



DIVORCES

In 2011, there were 48,935 divorces granted in Australia, a decrease of 1,305 from 2010.

The crude divorce rate was 2.2 divorces per 1,000 estimated resident population, a decrease from the rate of 2.3 recorded in 2009 and 2010.

The median age of males and females at divorce was 44.5 and 41.7 years respectively in 2011. Median ages at divorce in 2011 has increased from the figures reported in 2010 for both males (44.4 years) and females (41.5 years).

In 2011, divorces involving children represented 48.3% of all divorces granted compared to 49.5% in 2010. The number of children involved in divorces totalled 43,867 in 2011, a decrease from the 46,337 reported in 2010. The average number of children per divorce involving children in 2011 was 1.9, the same as reported in 2010.

The median duration from marriage to divorce in 2011 was 12.2 years, a decrease from 12.3 years in 2010. This figure has steadily decreased from a peak of 12.6 years in 2005.

Over the last 20 years, the proportion of divorces granted as result of joint applications for divorce has generally been increasing. This has continued in 2011 to the point where joint applicants are the highest applicant type for the second year in a row, with 18,572 divorces granted from joint applications.

1.2 Selected divorce indicators, Australia, Selected years - 1991-2011

1991
2001
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011

Divorces granted no.
45 652
55 330
47 963
47 209
49 448
50 240
48 935
Crude divorce rate(a)
2.6
2.8
2.3
2.2
2.3
2.3
2.2
Divorces involving children(b)
Proportion of all divorces %
54.2
51.2
49.3
48.8
49.1
49.5
48.3
Number of children no.
46 708
53 396
44 371
43 184
45 195
46 337
43 867
Median age at divorce
Males years
38.4
41.8
44.2
44.1
44.4
44.4
44.5
Females years
35.5
39.1
41.3
41.4
41.5
41.5
41.7
Median length of marriage
To separation years
7.4
8.3
8.9
8.8
8.7
8.8
8.7
To divorce years
10.3
11.8
12.5
12.3
12.3
12.3
12.2
Applicant(c)
Male no.
16 427
16 608
13 216
12 979
13 236
13 215
12 924
Female no.
22 066
26 035
18 571
17 617
18 149
18 083
17 439
Joint no.
7 159
12 687
16 172
16 613
18 063
18 941
18 572

(a) Number of divorces per 1,000 estimated resident population at 30 June for each reference year respectively. See Glossary and Explanatory Notes 32 and 38-40 for more information.
(b) Unmarried children of the marriage who were aged under 18 years at the time of application for divorce. See Glossary for more information.
(c) Excludes divorces where type of applicant is not stated.