Marriages and partnership registrations; key figures
Explanation of symbols
Table explanation
This table includes data on contracted marriages and registered partnerships among the Dutch population.
The following information is available:
- Marriages by sex of the partners.
- Marrying persons by sex and marital status before marriage.
- Average age at marriage by sex and marital status.
- Average number of contracted marriages by sex.
- Partnership registrations by sex of the partners.
Data available from: 1950
Status of the figures:
All figures in this publication are final data.
Changes per 24 May 2024:
Final figures of 2023 have been added.
When will new figures be published?
Figures of 2024 will be added in the 2nd quarter of 2025.
Description topics
- Marriages
- Contracted marriages
Break in the series for marriages and marrying individuals
Due to improvements in the production process there has been a slight increase in the marriage figures from 2010 onwards. As of 2010 the marriages abroad are observed better. The slight increase of the share of migration marriages in 2010, which mainly takes place among Moroccans, is entirely explained by the improved method.
Excluding registered partnership
From October 1994: the figures refer to married couples of which at least one partner is recorded in the municipal registers, irrespective of the country where the marriage was performed.
Until October 1994: the figures refer to all marriages contracted in the Netherlands, irrespective of registration of the person(s) in the municipal registers.- Total marriages
- Between man and woman
- Between men
- Since 1 April 2001, it is legally possible for people in the Netherlands to marry a person of the same sex.
- Between women
- Since 1 April 2001, it is legally possible for people in the Netherlands to marry a person of the same sex.
- Marrying persons
- Marrying persons
Break in the series for marriages and marrying individuals
Due to improvements in the production process there has been a slight increase in the marriage figures from 2010 onwards. As of 2010 the marriages abroad are observed better. The slight increase of the share of migration marriages in 2010, which mainly takes place among Moroccans, is entirely explained by the improved method.
Excluding persons in registered partnerships.
Which marrying persons are counted?
Marrying persons registered in the population register of a Dutch municipality at the time of the marriage.
Including persons in same-sex marriages.
Marriage:
Legal, formally sanctioned living arrangement between two people.
Partnership registration:
A marriage-like relationship recorded at the registry office. Partnership registration is open to same-sex and different-sex couples. Registered partnership was introduced in the Netherlands on 1 January 1998.- By sex and marital status
- Marrying persons by marital status for marriage
Break in series marital status
From 2010 onwards a small shift has occurred between a number of marital statuses (fewer never married and more married, divorced and widowed respectively). Because information on some marital statuses was lacking for the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, 'partnership', 'divorced after partnership' and 'widowed after partnership' were not included in these statistics for this period. For these statistics, the marital status before the partnership was used instead, which was mostly 'never married'. From 2010 all marital statuses are available.
Marital status:
Legal status involving someone's rights and competences as determined by legal marriage and registered partnership.
Registered partnership:
A marriage-like relationship between two people of the opposite or same sex, registered at the Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages.- Men
- Total men
- Never married
- From 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married or never in a registered partnership.
1998 to 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after never married'. For 'widowed after partnership' and 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998: marital status indicating that someone was never married.
Including marital status unknown.
- Partnership
- Men ending registered partnership by changing it into a marriage.
Available from 2010.
Partnership
Marital status resulting from entering into a registered partnership.
- Widowed
- From 2010: widowed after a legal marriage and widowed after a partnership. From 1998 to 2010: widowed after a legal marriage. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after widowed'. For 'widowed after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998 widowed after a legal marriage.
Widowed after a legal marriage
Marital status resulting from death ending a legal marriage.
Widowed after partnership
Marital status resulting from death ending a registered partnership.
- Divorced
- From 2010: divorced after legal marriage and divorced after partnership.
1998 to 2010: divorced after legal marriage. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in data in the period 1998 tot 2010 used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after divorced'. For 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998: divorced after legal marriage.
Divorced after a legal marriage
Marital status resulting from ending a legal marriage by divorce.
Excluding judicial separations which are included in the category married.
Divorced after a partnership
Marital status resulting from ending a registered partnership other than by the death of the partner.
- Women
- Total women
- Never married
- From 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married or never in a registered partnership.
1998 to 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after never married'. For 'widowed after partnership' and 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998: marital status indicating that someone was never married.
Including marital status unknown.
- Partnership
- Men ending registered partnership by changing it into a marriage.
Available from 2010.
Partnership
Marital status resulting from entering into a registered partnership.
- Widowed
- From 2010: widowed after a legal marriage and widowed after a partnership. From 1998 to 2010: widowed after a legal marriage. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after widowed'. For 'widowed after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998 widowed after a legal marriage.
Widowed after a legal marriage
Marital status resulting from death ending a legal marriage.
Widowed after partnership
Marital status resulting from death ending a registered partnership.
- Divorced
- From 2010: divorced after legal marriage and divorced after partnership.
1998 to 2010: divorced after legal marriage. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in data in the period 1998 tot 2010 used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after divorced'. For 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998: divorced after legal marriage.
Divorced after a legal marriage
Marital status resulting from ending a legal marriage by divorce.
Excluding judicial separations which are included in the category married.
Divorced after a partnership
Marital status resulting from ending a registered partnership other than by the death of the partner.
- Average age at marriage
- Break in the series for marriages and marrying individuals
Due to improvements in the production process there has been a slight increase in the marriage figures from 2010 onwards. As of 2010 the marriages abroad are observed better. The slight increase of the share of migration marriages in 2010, which mainly takes place among Moroccans, is entirely explained by the improved method.
Average age at marriage (excluding registered partnership) by sex and previous marital status.
Average age at marriage:
The arithmetic mean of all ages of marrying persons.
Age:
The number of whole years that have passed between someone's date of birth and 31 December of the year of marriage, calculated as the year of marriage minus the year of birth.
Break in series marital status
From 2010 onwards a small shift has occurred between a number of marital statuses (fewer never married and more married, divorced and widowed respectively). Because information on some marital statuses was lacking for the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, 'partnership', 'divorced after partnership' and 'widowed after partnership' were not included in these statistics for this period.
For these statistics, the marital status before the partnership was used instead, which was mostly 'never married'. From 2010 all marital statuses are available.
Marital status:
Legal status involving someone's rights and competences as determined by legal marriage and registered partnership.
Registered partnership:
A marriage-like relationship recorded at the registry office. Partnership registration is open to same-sex and different-sex couples. Registered partnership was introduced in the Netherlands on 1 January 1998.- Men
- Total men
- Average age of all male marriage partners.
- Never married
- From 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married or never in a registered partnership. 1998 to 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married.
Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after never married'. For 'widowed after partnership' and 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998: marital status indicating that someone was never married.
Including marital status unknown.
- Partnership
- Ending registered partnership by converting it to a marriage.
Available from 2010.
Partnership:
Marital status resulting from entering into a registered partnership.
- Widowed
- From 2010: widowed after a legal marriage and widowed after a partnership.
From 1998 to 2010: widowed after a legal marriage. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after widowed'. For 'widowed after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998 widowed after a legal marriage.
Widowed after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from death ending a legal marriage.
Widowed after partnership:
Marital status resulting from death ending a registered partnership.
- Divorced
- From 2010: divorced after legal marriage and divorced after partnership.
1998 to 2010: divorced after legal marriage. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in data in the period 1998 tot 2010 used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after divorced'. For 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998: divorced after legal marriage.
Divorced after a legal marriage
Marital status resulting from ending a legal marriage by divorce.
Excluding judicial separations which are included in the category married.
Divorced after a partnership
Marital status resulting from ending a registered partnership other than by the death of the partner.
- Women
- Total women
- Average age of all female marriage partners.
- Never married
- Marital status indicating that someone was never married or never in a registered partnership.
From 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married or never in a registered partnership. 1998 to 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married.
Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after never married'. For 'widowed after partnership' and 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998: marital status indicating that someone was never married.
Including marital status unknown.
- Partnership
- Ending registered partnership by converting it to a marriage.
Available from 2010.
Partnership:
Marital status resulting from entering into a registered partnership.
- Widowed
- From 2010: widowed after a legal marriage and widowed after a partnership.
From 1998 to 2010: widowed after a legal marriage. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after widowed'. For 'widowed after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998 widowed after a legal marriage.
Widowed after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from death ending a legal marriage.
Widowed after partnership:
Marital status resulting from death ending a registered partnership.
- Divorced
- From 2010: divorced after legal marriage and divorced after partnership.
1998 to 2010: divorced after legal marriage. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in data in the period 1998 tot 2010 used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after divorced'. For 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, which was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998: divorced after legal marriage.
Divorced after a legal marriage
Marital status resulting from ending a legal marriage by divorce.
Excluding judicial separations which are included in the category married.
Divorced after a partnership
Marital status resulting from ending a registered partnership other than by the death of the partner.
- Partnership registrations
- A marriage-like relationship recorded at the registry office. Partnership registration is open to same-sex and different-sex couples. Registered partnership was introduced in the Netherlands on 1 January 1998.
The figures refer to registered partnerships of which at least one partner is recorded in the municipal registers of a Dutch municipality.- Total partnership registrations
- Total partnership registrations
- Between man and woman
- Between men
- Between women
- New partnerships
- Registered partnerships of persons with former marital status never married, widowed or divorced.
Never married:
Marital status indicating that someone was never married or never in a registered partnership.
From 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married or never in a registered partnership.
1998 to 2010: marital status indicating that someone was never married. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period. For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after never married'. For 'widowed after partnership' and 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, wich was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998: marital status indicating that someone was never married.
Widowed:
From 2010: widowed after a legal marriage and widowed after a partnership.
1998 to 2010: widowed after a legal marriage.
Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in the period 1998 to 2010 in data used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period.
For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after widowed'. For 'widowed after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, wich was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998 widowed after a legal marriage.
Widowed after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from death ending a legal marriage.
Widowed after a partnership:
Marital status resulting from death ending a registered partnership.
Divorced:
From 2010: divorced after legal marriage and divorced after partnership.
1998 to 2010: divorced after legal marriage. Because information was lacking on some marital statuses in data in the period 1998 tot 2010 used by Statistics Netherlands, partnerships were not included in this period.
For these statistics, this results in data including 'partnership after divorced'. For 'divorced after partnership' the marital status before the partnership was used, wich was mostly unmarried.
Until 1998: divorced after legal marriage.
Divorced after a legal marriage:
Marital status resulting from ending a legal marriage by divorce.
Excluding legal seductions.
Divorced after partnership:
Marital status resulting from ending a registered partnership other than by the death of the partner.- Total new partnership registrations