The changing face of marriage in South Africa: A look at the numbers
Marriages declined by almost one third between 2013 and 2022, according to the statistics office
In South Africa, marriage has been a salient topic of discussion. Last year, in 2023, the Department of Home Affairs invited the public to comment on the draft marriage bill 2022, which proposes amendments to existing marriage laws. Reactions have been mixed, as the bill seeks to advance liberal values such as equality, non-discrimination, human dignity, and freedom of speech. Some have suggested that a balance must be struck between upholding current customs, advancing liberal values, and acknowledging the dynamic nature of relationships.
Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, noted that: “The bill empowers the Department of Home Affairs to develop a single marriage act for the country and seeks to ensure all marriages are concluded in accordance with the principles of equality, non-discrimination and human dignity as provided for in the constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996.”
There are three types of marriages that are recognised by law in South Africa: civil marriages, customary marriages, and civil unions. The latter accommodates persons who cannot or wish not to enter into a marriage under the Marriage Act, 1961.
There is a downward trend in civil marriage registrations according to the Marriages and Divorces report, 2022, released by the department of statistics. Historically, customary marriages and civil union registration were not always recorded. Before 2008, the annual report only covered civil marriages. This changed in 2009 when the department started publishing available data on customary marriages and civil unions, which started being recorded in 2003 and 2007, respectively.
A comparison of 2022 data with 2021 data shows registration of all marriages and unions increased. However, the report highlights a significant decline of 29.5% in the number of civil marriages recorded between 2013 and 2022, from 158,642 to 111,784. Even accounting for the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on gatherings, which led to reduced marriage registrations in 2020 and 2021, the overall trend still indicates a notable decline in the number of marriages.
Also worth noting is that not all unions are recorded within the same year they occur. In 2022 for instance, 93.4% of marriages were registered in the same year, while 6.6% were for unions that took place in previous years.
In addition to the noted downward trend, the median age of bridegrooms and brides at the time of civil marriage has also increased from a steady 37 and 33 years respectively for the last four years to 38 and 34 in 2022.
A CNBC report notes that 89% of the world’s population now live in countries with falling marriage rates. Two primary reasons stand out: rising cost of marriage ceremonies and the subsequent cost of having children, which many cannot afford, and changing social norms where marriage is no longer seen as a prerequisite for having children.
Whether the decline in marriage rates will continue is uncertain, given the shifting views on marriage and the laws governing it. What is clear is that the institution is changing.
This data blog was written by CfA DataLab project manager and data analyst Emma Kisa. The blog was edited and reviewed by CfA copy editor Kiprotich Koros.
Find the data here.
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