In 2023 there were 646 same-sex marriages, 324 male and 322 female.
There were 20,513 opposite-sex marriages in 2023. The average age of grooms was 37.7 years showing a slight increase from 37.4 years in 2022. The average age of grooms rose from 27.2 years in 1973 to 27.5 years in 1983 and increased to 37.7 years in 2023. There is a similar trend for the average age of brides, increasing from 24.8 years in 1973 to 25.4 years in 1983 before rising to 35.8 years in 2023.
There were 21,159 marriages (opposite and same-sex) in 2023 compared with 23,173 in 2022, a decrease of 2,014 (8.7%). There were 4.0 marriages per 1,000 population in 2023, down from 4.5 in 2022. Around three in every 100 marriages (3.1%) were same-sex in 2023.
| Number of Marriages, 2021-20231 | |||
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| Opposite sex | 16,717 | 22,555 | 20,513 |
| Same Sex | 500 | 618 | 646 |
| All marriages | 17,217 | 23,173 | 21,159 |
| All Marriages rate per 1,000 population | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Average Age of Groom (Opposite-Sex Marriage) | 37.4 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| Average Age of Bride (Opposite-Sex Marriage) | 35.4 | 35.4 | 35.8 |
| Average Age of Male (Same-Sex Marriage) | 40.4 | 39.4 | 40.8 |
| Average Age of Female (Same-Sex Marriage) | 39.9 | 38.2 | 38.0 |
| 1Rates revised for 2021 and 2022 due to updated population of census data. | |||
| X-axis label | All Marriages | Opposite-Sex Marriages | Same-Sex Marriages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 20313 | 19673 | 640 |
| 2020 | 9523 | 9209 | 314 |
| 2021 | 17217 | 16717 | 500 |
| 2022 | 23173 | 22555 | 618 |
| 2023 | 21159 | 20513 | 646 |
In 2023, religious ceremonies accounted for 60% of all marriages. There were 7,256 (34%) Catholic marriage ceremonies, 242 (1.1%) Church of Ireland ceremonies, The Spiritualist Union of Ireland performed 1,674 (7.9%) ceremonies and 3,468 (16%) couples opted for other religious ceremonies. The majority of non-religious ceremonies were civil marriages which accounted for 32% (6,808) of all marriages; the remaining 1,711 (8.1%) couples had Humanist ceremonies. See table 1 and figure 2.
| % | |
| Roman Catholic | 34.3 |
| Civil Marriages | 32.2 |
| Humanist Association | 8.1 |
| Spiritualist Union of Ireland | 7.9 |
| Other Religious | 16.4 |
| Church of Ireland | 1.1 |
61% of all opposite-sex marriages were religious ceremonies in 2023. There were 7,256 (35%) Catholic services, 1,604 (7.8%) by the Spiritualist Union, 242 (1.2%) in Church of Ireland ceremonies, and 42 (0.2%) Presbyterian services. A further 3,281 (16%) ceremonies were held under other religious denominations. Civil marriages accounted for 6,474 (32%) while the remaining 1,614 (7.9%) were services held by the Humanist Association.
Just over half (52%) of same-sex marriages were civil ceremonies in 2023. 97 (15%) of services were held by the Humanist Association, 70 (11%) by the Spiritualist Union of Ireland, and 145 (22%) by other religious denominations.
August was the most popular month for opposite-sex marriages in 2023 while in 2022 it was July. Just over one in eight marriages (13%) in 2023 were in August while almost one in four (24%) took place in the last three months of the year. Some 638 (3.1%) marriages took place in January, the least popular month to wed in 2023.
Friday and Saturday were the most popular days of the week to get married in 2023 with 12,705 (62%) of opposite-sex marriages taking place on these days. The least popular day was Sunday when 684 (3.3%) marriages in 2023 took place.
Friday 15 September was the most popular date for opposite-sex marriages in 2023 with 215 ceremonies taking place on this date. This was followed by Friday the 04 August when 208 ceremonies took place.
In 2023, the most popular month for same-sex marriages was July, unchanged from 2022. Just over one in eight marriages (13%) in 2023 were in July and almost one in four (24%) took place in the last three months of the year. Just 23 (3.6%) marriages took place in February, the least popular month in 2023.
The 07 July and 11 August were the most popular dates for same-sex marriages in 2023 with 11 ceremonies taking place on both these Fridays. This was followed by the 05 May, 28 July, and 27 October, all with nine ceremonies taking place on these dates.
In 2022 (the most recent available data), Hungary had the highest crude (unadjusted) marriage rate of the EU27 Member States with a rate of 6.6 per 1,000 population. Italy and Slovenia had the joint lowest rate, with 3.2 marriages per 1,000 population. In 2022, Ireland’s marriage rate was 4.5 per 1,000 population, while 2023 saw a decreased rate of 4.0 marriages per 1,000 population. See Figure 3 and link to Eurostat table.
| EU - 27 | Marriage Rate |
|---|---|
| Cyprus (2019) | 8.9 |
| Hungary | 6.6 |
| Latvia | 6.3 |
| Romania | 6.2 |
| Lithuania | 5.7 |
| Slovakia | 5.4 |
| Estonia | 5.3 |
| Czech Republic | 5.1 |
| Malta | 4.8 |
| Denmark (2021) | 4.7 |
| Germany | 4.7 |
| Croatia | 4.7 |
| Sweden | 4.6 |
| Ireland (2022) | 4.5 |
| Austria (2020) | 4.4 |
| Poland | 4.2 |
| Greece | 4.2 |
| Belgium | 4.2 |
| Ireland (2023) | 4 |
| Netherlands | 4 |
| Bulgaria | 3.9 |
| Finland | 3.9 |
| Luxembourg | 3.8 |
| Spain | 3.7 |
| France | 3.6 |
| Portugal | 3.5 |
| Slovenia | 3.2 |
| Italy | 3.2 |
For the numbers of divorces and judicial separations granted in 2022 (the most recent data available) see attached link:Courts Service Annual Report 2022
The estimated population (usual residence) in April 2023 was 5,281,612.
The Marriage Act 2015 (No.35/2015) effective from the 16 November 2015 (S.I 504/15 refers) allows parties of the same sex to marry. From the 16 November 2015, when same-sex marriage legislation came into effect, same-sex couples no longer had the option to apply for a Civil Partnership.
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