Last year, more than 220,000 couples were recorded as having married. This represents an approximate increase of 15% compared to the previous year, marking the highest growth rate since statistics began to be compiled. The increase is attributed to the population of those born between 1991 and 1995 reaching the average marriage age in their early 30s, along with marriages that were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic occurring now.
International marriages are also on the rise. In particular, the number of marriages between Korean men and Japanese women has shown a sharp increase for the second consecutive year.
According to the '2024 marriage and divorce statistics' released by the Statistical Office on the 20th, the number of marriages last year was 222,000, marking a 14.8% increase compared to the previous year. The number of marriages has increased for the second consecutive year after rebounding remarkably two years ago. This is the first time since 2010 and 2011 that there has been a consecutive increase for two years.
The magnitude of the increase was significant. The marriage growth rate of 15% within a year is the largest since the related statistics began to be recorded in 1970. Park Hyun-jung, the head of demographic trends at the Statistical Office, noted, "The population in their early 30s has increased significantly, and there was a base effect due to decreased marriages caused by COVID. It appears that the various policies promoting marriage by the government and local governments may also have had some impact."
◇ Age of first marriage for men down, women up, gap at record low of 2.3 years
The age at first marriage for both men and women was 33.9 years and 31.6 years, respectively. The age of first marriage for men decreased by 0.1 years compared to the previous year, which is the first time since the statistics were compiled in 1990. While the age of men getting married has declined, the age of women has increased, with the gap (2.3 years) being the smallest since records began. This indicates a trend toward first marriages occurring at more similar ages than in the past.
Among the types of first marriages, the case of 'older woman, younger man' accounted for 19.9%, which was a record high. The share of 'older man, younger woman' was 63.4%, while 'same age' was 16.6%. The proportion of older men has decreased, while the proportions of older women and same-age couples have increased. The most common categories were 'man 1-2 years older' (26%), 'man 3-5 years older' (24.6%), and 'same age' (16.6%).
By region, the gross marriage rate (the number of marriages per 1,000 population) was highest in Daejeon (5.6), Sejong (4.8), and Gyeonggi (4.6). In contrast, Busan and Gyeongnam (3.5) and Gyeongbuk (3.6) had lower rates. Seoul had the highest average age at first marriage for both men (34.3 years) and women (32.4 years).
◇ International marriages increase for third year... trend of 'gray divorces' on the rise
Marriages with foreigners amounted to 21,000, marking a 5.3% increase compared to the previous year. International marriages have been on the rise for three consecutive years. In particular, marriages between 'Korean men and Japanese women' have surged by over 40% for the second consecutive year. Last year, the number of marriages between Korean men and Japanese women was 1,176, an increase of 40% compared to the previous year, recording the largest figures for both increase in numbers and growth rate.
In terms of proportions, the nationalities of foreign wives married to Korean men were primarily Vietnamese (32.1%), Chinese (16.7%), and Thai (13.7%), while the nationalities of foreign husbands married to Korean women were predominantly American (28.8%), Chinese (17.6%), and Vietnamese (15%).
Last year's divorce count was 91,000, a decrease of 1.3% compared to the previous year. The average divorce age was 50.4 years for men and 47.1 years for women. The proportion of those divorcing after living together for '5-9 years' was the highest at 18%, followed by those divorcing in '4 years or less' at 16.7%. The segment of 'gray divorces' among those married for over 30 years (16.6%) has also increased, accounting for the third-largest share overall.