Ahead of the tenth anniversary of the passing of the Marriage Equality referendum in Ireland, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (Wednesday 21 May 2025) published data on same-sex marriages over that time.
The referendum took place on 22 May 2015 when 1.2 million people, or just over 62%, voted in favour of amending the Constitution so that marriages, regardless of the sex of the partners, would be recognised. Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce same-sex marriage by popular vote, with the first marriages taking place in November 2015.
Seán O’Connor, Statistician in the Life Events and Demography Division, said: “The CSO has collected data on same-sex marriages as part of our Vital Statistics releases since that historic vote. Between November 2015 and 2024, we can see that 5,956 same-sex marriages were celebrated in Ireland. Of these, 3,178 involved male marriages and 2,778 were female marriages.
Overall, same-sex marriages accounted for 3.3% of total marriages annually since 2016. July and August were the most in demand months for same-sex marriages from 2016 to 2024, while Friday led the way as the most sought-after day to tie the knot. Civil ceremonies were the most popular form of ceremony for nearly two-thirds (63.7%) of same-sex couples.”
The CSO produces statistics on marriages which are registered with the General Register Office (GRO) in Ireland. Marriages that are not registered with the GRO are not included in the CSO data.
More information is available on the Marriages 2024 release and on the CSO database PxStat tables VSB10 and VSB12.
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Analysis of Data
Number of Marriages Registered
Following the change in legislation in 2015, there were 1,056 same-sex marriages registered the following year in 2016. All types of marriage ceremonies were affected by COVID-19 restrictions, and in 2020, 314 same-sex marriages were registered. In 2024, there were 668 same-sex marriages registered, 325 male and 343 female.
Average Age of Older & Younger Partner
In 2016, the average age of the older male groom was 43.8 years, which fell slightly to 43.7 years in 2024. The average age of the younger male groom was 37.2 years in 2016, while in 2024, this had increased to 37.7 years.
The average age of the older bride in a same-sex marriage in 2016 was 43.3 years, which fell to 41.6 years in 2024. The average age of the younger bride in 2016 was 38.8 years compared with an average of 37.8 years in 2024.
Interestingly, in 2016, 86 men aged over 60 years were grooms in a same-sex marriage, while in 2024 35 men aged 60 years and over got married. In 2016, 43 women aged 60 and over tied the knot in a same-sex marriage, while in 2024 it was 39.
Form of Ceremony Celebrated
In 2016, civil marriages were the most popular choice among males with 490 such ceremonies taking place. A further 60 ceremonies were held by the Humanist Association, 36 by the Spiritualist Union of Ireland, and 20 by other religious denominations. It was similar for females in 2016, with 360 couples opting for civil ceremonies, 37 ceremonies for both the Humanist Association and the Spiritualist Union of Ireland, and 16 for other religious denominations.
Just over half (52.5%) or 351 out of 668 same-sex marriages were civil ceremonies in 2024. The Humanist Association held 68 (10.2%) of services, 72 (10.8%) were held by the Spiritualist Union of Ireland, and 177 (26.5%) by other religious denominations.
Location of Ceremonies
Brides
Looking at the data by province, we can see that in 2016, the highest number of female same-sex ceremonies took place in Leinster (298), followed by Munster (97), Connacht (35), and Ulster (pt) (20), with similar rates in 2024.
Further analysis shows that most ceremonies for same-sex female marriages in 2016 took place in Dublin at 185 ceremonies. This was followed by Cork City and County with 42 ceremonies, Limerick City and County with 23, and Kildare with 22. There were no female same-sex marriages in Longford or Roscommon that year.
In 2024, there were 95 female ceremonies in Dublin, followed by Cork City and County with 37, and Meath with 34. There were no female same-sex marriages in Carlow and Longford in 2024.
Grooms
When it comes to same-sex marriages among males, in 2016, 460 ceremonies took place in Leinster, 87 in Munster, 34 in Connacht, and 25 in Ulster (pt). In 2024, there were 194 such ceremonies in Leinster (194), followed by Munster (72), Connacht (35), and Ulster (pt) at 24.
We can also see that in 2016, most marriages took place in Dublin (324) followed by Cork City and County (43), and Wicklow (39). There were no male same-sex marriages in Limerick County or Longford that year.
In 2024, there were 111 ceremonies in Dublin, 24 in Cork City and County, and 22 in Wicklow. There were no same-sex male marriages in Leitrim or Longford that year.
Most Popular Month
There has been little change in the most popular and least popular months to tie the knot for same-sex couples over the years. September was the most popular choice for same-sex marriages in 2016 (125 ceremonies) and in 2024 (85 ceremonies), while overall it was July.
January was also the least popular month in both 2016 (45 ceremonies) and 2024 (23 ceremonies) for same-sex couples.
Most Popular Day
Overall, Friday was the most popular day of the week for same-sex marriages.
In 2016, 348 same-sex couples opted for a Friday, while the least popular day was Sunday with 30 ceremonies taking place. Similarly, in 2024 the most popular day to get married was Friday with 220 marriages taking place and the least popular was Sunday (29 ceremonies).
Friday 19 July and Friday 21 June were the most popular dates for same-sex marriages in 2024, with 10 ceremonies taking place on each of these dates.