Wellington, May 3 The number of marriages solemnised in New Zealand increased in 2022 following lower numbers in the previous two years, according to annual figures released by the statistics department on Wednesday.
In 2022, 18,858 marriages and civil unions were registered by New Zealand couples, up from 15,657 in 2021, Xinhua news agency quoted Stats NZ as saying.
However, the number remains lower than in the period before Covid-19 impacted the country, as there were, on average, around 20,200 marriages and civil unions registered each year between 2017 and 2019, it added.
"Rules around gatherings in response to the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a large drop in the number of marriages celebrated, especially in the warmer months when it's more popular to tie the knot," Stats NZ population estimates and projections manager Michael MacAskill said.
In 2022, the number of marriages registered each month began returning to pre-Covid numbers as restrictions were lifted.
In fact, registrations were higher than pre-Covid levels towards the end of the year, which may have included couples marrying that had delayed earlier plans, MacAskill said.
The number of overseas couples marrying in New Zealand also increased. In 2022, 1,317 couples were from overseas that came to New Zealand to marry or form a civil union.
This was higher than the previous two years, although still lower than pre-Covid numbers, he said.
Nearly two in every three couples who came to New Zealand to marry were from Australia.
A further 9 per cent came from Britain, and 7 per cent from the US, he added.
Of the 1,317 couples from overseas who married or formed a civil union in New Zealand in 2022, 7 per cent were same-sex couples, MacAskill said.
Figures on divorces released by Stats NZ show that in 2022, 7,593 divorces were granted, which were higher than in 2021, but lower than most years before that, following a general decline in the number each year.
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