Key Points
- A total of 1,773 couples married on 24 February, or 24/02/24.
- Australia recorded a 2 per cent increase in marriages in 2024 from the previous year.
- In 2024, the rate of divorce was 2.1 per 1,000 people.
Andy and Anh Tran were not too bothered about the exact date of their wedding, but it turns out they tied the knot on what was the most popular wedding date in Australia last year.
While some couples may have wanted an easy-to-remember wedding anniversary, Tran said his mum chose 24 February or 24/02/24.
“She's a bit kind of auspicious," he said.
"We gave her the possible dates because I work FIFO [fly-in fly-out], and said these are our options, and she said this would be a nice day, so that's why we picked the 24th."
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data on marriages in Australia in 2024, released this week, showed 1,773 marriages took place on the last Saturday of the 2023/2024 summer.
Save the date
It also showed the nation recorded a 2 per cent increase in marriages from the previous year, with a total of 120,844 marriages taking place.
While more than 1 per cent of couples who wed in 2024 did so on 24 February, it was not the only popular matrimonial date.
The most popular date to get married last year was 24 February 2024, with 1,773 marriages. Source: SBS News
More than 450 marriages were recorded on the Thursday that was, 29 February, a date that only appears in calendars once every four years
Marriages in Australia in 2024
While the Trans may share an anniversary date with many others who got married in 2024, having had a summer wedding means theirs actually fell outside of the most common seasons to tie the knot in Australia.
According to the data on marriages, most took place during spring or autumn.
The national statistics showed Australians who get married typically do so in their early 30s.
The median age for women to marry remained steady at 31.2 years, while the median age for men was 32.8 years.
There were 120,844 marriages registered in Australia in 2024, a 2 per cent increase from those registered in 2023. Source: SBS News
While more marriages took place in 2024 in Australia than in the previous year, the recent marriage statistics represent a 5 per cent drop from the record high of 127,161 marriages registered in 2022, following the easing of pandemic restrictions.
The ABS describes 2024 marriage figures as "comparable to the pre-pandemic rate in 2019 of 5.6 marriages per 1,000 people".
While NSW recorded the most marriages in 2024 (32,050), Victoria experienced the highest increase in marriages, with an additional 2,234, representing a 7.5 per cent increase.
Increases in the numbers of marriages recorded in those two states and in Western Australia accounted for the increase recorded nationally in last year's figures, with decreased marriage rates in all other states and territories.
Correction may not continue into 2025
Celebrant and WA Wedding Association secretary Candice Bydder said while 2024 had witnessed a slight increase in the number of marriages recorded nationally, it was likely a continuation of the 'correction' that started in the industry in 2022, post-COVID-19.
Celebrant Candice Bydder, who married Andy and Anh Tran on 24 February last year, said while there was an increase in marriages recorded last year, it appeared as if the industry may have slowed down a little during the first half of 2025. Source: Supplied / BKD Media
"I'm seeing far more paperwork-only weddings, so there's a trend towards smaller, legal-only weddings," she told SBS News.
"That might be a bit about the cost of living, but also just people wanting to spend that money elsewhere," Bydder said.
Divorce in 2024
A total of 47,216 divorces were granted in Australia, which was a 3 per cent decrease from the 48,700 divorces granted in 2023.
A total of 47,216 divorces were granted in Australia, down 3 per cent from the 48,700 divorces granted in 2023. Source: SBS News
The median length of marriages that ended in divorce in 2024 was 13.2 years.
The median age at divorce has remained unchanged compared to 2023, at 47.1 years for males and 44.1 years for females.
