The Central Statistics Office has released their marriage statistics for 2024 and the results are interesting!
Ireland’s Central Statistics Office has recently unveiled its marriage statistics for 2024, offering an intriguing glimpse into the evolving trends of weddings across the country. When compared to the 2023 figures, some notable shifts emerge. For instance, while the number of opposite-sex marriages saw a slight decline, the number of same-sex unions rose modestly. Additionally, despite these changes, the average age at which people marry has remained remarkably stable. Other interesting trends include a rise in civil ceremonies and a continued preference for Friday weddings. Join us as we dive into the key findings from the latest report and what they reveal about the modern Irish wedding scene.
Interesting findings:
- In 2024, there were 19,680 opposite-sex marriages, compared to 20,513 in 2023. There were 668 same sex marriages, slightly up from 646 in 2023.
- The average age that people get married is almost exactly the same as it was in 2023. In opposite-sex marriages, the average age is 37.7 for males and 35.9 for females, compared to 37.7 (males) and 35.8 (females) in 2023. In same-sex couples, the average age is 40.7 (males) and 39.7 (females).
- Roman Catholic Ceremonies accounted for 32.6% of ceremonies in 2024, down from 35.4% in 2023, while Civil Ceremonies are up to 32.5%, compared to 31.6% in 2023.
- Friday remains the most popular day to tie the knot, with Sunday being the least popular.
- The least popular month to get married is still January, while the most popular month for both 2023 and 2024 was August.
Key takeaways:
Last year, we noticed that fewer weddings were taking place between 2022 and 2023. This year, the figures have somewhat stabilised. Our advice to wedding businesses is to stand out from the crowd and evolve creatively as the industry evolves. This might include adjusting packages and providing bespoke offerings to prospective couples.
In weddingsonline’s own annual survey, it was revealed that the deciding factor for which suppliers to book was reviews and recommendations (56%), favourite choice (28%), with only 11% stating that price was their deciding factor. Wedding professionals should factor this in when compiling new marketing campaigns.
Sources: cso.ie 2022, cso.ie 2023, cso.ie 2024
