Marriages, registered partnerships, divorces

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In focus

Nuptiality

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.

Divortiality

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
	2021	2022	2023
Marriages¹	36 410	40 938	37 540
Registered partnerships²	582	199	8
Male couples	361	134	...
Female couples	221	65	...
Crude marriage rate	4.2	4.7	...
Short-term "first-time marriage" indicator
Men	46.9	48.3	...
Women	52.2	53.9	...
Average age at first-time marriage
Men	32.2	32.5	38.3
Women	30.3	30.4	34.2
Divorces	17 159	16 201	15 504
Crude divorce rate	2.0	1.8	...
Short-term divorce rate indicator³	41.9	39.7	38.0
Average length of marriage at time of divorce³	15.7	15.7	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.

3 Only different-sex couples are considered

2023: 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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