
Lorenzo Macchi
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Italy
Get in touch with us nowEvery year, less and less Italians decide to walk down the aisle and join in the wedlock with their other half. In 2023, the country registered 3.1 marriages per 1,000 individuals, roughly one union less than in 2008. In 2020, the marriage rate dropped considerably due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching only 1.6 celebrations per 1,000 people. The region with the highest marriage rate in 2023 was Sicily, where 3.7 couples per 1,000 inhabitants got married.
Brides and grooms always older
Italians postpone to a later date their decision to tie the knot. Back in the 1990s, the average age of the Italian brides at marriage was 26.8 years, whereas in 2017 this figure was about 31 years. The average age of mothers at childbirth also increased in the last decades, augmenting almost by two years since 2002. In 2022, the mean age was 32.4 years.
Various reasons of not getting married
There are different motives why people decide not to get married. When asked about the reason they didn’t get married, the majority of Italian singles replied, that they did not find the right person. On the other hand, about 17 percent of individuals cohabiting together with their partner stated that they don’t believe in marriage, whereas roughly one-fourth of the respondents never felt the need to do it.
* For commercial use only
Basic Account
Starter Account
Professional Account
1 All prices do not include sales tax. The account requires an annual contract and will renew after one year to the regular list price.
Population
Births
Age structure
Deaths
Households
Marriage and divorce
Further related statistics
* For commercial use only
Basic Account
Starter Account
Professional Account
1 All prices do not include sales tax. The account requires an annual contract and will renew after one year to the regular list price.