Marriages, registered partnerships, divorces

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In focus

Marriage and marriage rate

The periods with a high marriage rate between 1871-1879, 1918-1925 and from 1940 to the 1960s were followed by episodes of high birth rates, the last of which included the two baby boom waves. The marriage rate indicators, however, show a fall in the number of marriages in the population.

Divorce and divorce rate

Since 1876 a record has been kept of the number of divorces granted each year by the Swiss courts. The number of divorces rose in line with the increase in the population until the mid-1960s after which time their number grew more rapidly, indicating a change in the population's behaviour with regard to this subject.

At a glance

Key figures
	2020	2021	2022
Marriages¹	35 160	36 410	40 688
Registered partnerships²	651	582	199
Male couples	386	361	134
Female couples	265	221	65
Crude marriage rate	4.1	4.2	...
Short-term "first-time marriage" indicator
Men	45.5	46.9	...
Women	49.9	52.2	...
Average age at first-time marriage			...
Men	32.2	32.2	...
Women	30.2	30.3	...
Divorces	16 210	17 159	16 083
Crude divorce rate	1.9	2.0	...
Short-term divorce rate indicator	39.5	41.9	39.4
Average length of marriage at time of divorce	15.6	15.7	...

1 From 2022 onwards, marriages between persons of different sexes, marriages between persons of the same sex and conversions of registered partnerships into marriages are included.

2 From 1 July 2022, same-sex couples may marry or convert their registered partnership into a marriage at the civil registry office. From the same date, partnerships may no longer be registered in Switzerland. However, the conclusion of such a union is still possible abroad.

2022: provisional annual figures
…= The figures are not available yet
Sources: FSO – Vital Statistics, STATPOP

Further information

Data

On this topic

Marriages

Marriage is the union of two persons as established in law. The fact of getting married changes the structure of the population (change in marital status) and has an influence on fertility in Switzerland.

Nuptiality

The marriage rate depicts the frequency and the characteristics of marriage within a population

Divorces

A divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage. The fact of getting divorced changes the structure of the population (change in civil status) and has an influence on fertility in Switzerland.

Divortiality

The divorce rate is the ratio of divorces to the size of the population, observing the frequency and characteristics of divorces in this population.

Registered partnerships, dissolved partnerships

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Federal Statistical Office Section Demography and Migration
Espace de l'Europe 10
CH-2010 Neuchâtel
Switzerland

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