Relationships can be tough, even under normal circumstances.
Everyday stresses and the pressures in our lives can influence romantic, work, familial, and friendship relationships.
The fundamental issues that bring people to Sydney family lawyers have remained relatively consistent.
However, relationships and family structures are becoming increasingly diverse and less reflective of the traditional model of a husband, wife and two children.
At Unified Lawyers, we see a broad range of relationships, including more couples who are child-free, as well as de facto couples, blended families and same-sex couples.
Family law practice increasingly needs to reflect the many different ways in which modern Australian families are formed.
Following the latest 2026 release of the Australian Bureau of Statistics marriage and divorce statistics, some new key information has been incorporated about the progression of marriage and divorce rates in 2025.
Our family and divorce lawyers have put together a summary of the key findings on marriage and divorce rates from the report.
Marriage Rate in Australia
Following a significant post-pandemic spike in 2022, the number of marriages and the crude marriage rate in Australia have largely stabilised, with 2025 showing a slight decrease.
The crude marriage rate reflects the number of marriages registered during the year per 1,000 people of the estimated resident population aged 16 and over in Australia.
This is how the Australian Bureau of Statistics determines marriage and divorce data each year.
During 2022, the crude marriage rate jumped significantly to 6.1, up from 4.3 in 2021.
This was largely attributed to delayed weddings, by COVID-19 restrictions, finally going ahead.
Following this, 2023 and 2024 saw the rate settle at 5.5.
However, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the 2025 marriage crude rate has dropped slightly to 5.3.
Overall, there were 118,804 marriages registered in 2025, a 1.7% decrease from the previous year. Key figures can be seen below:
| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marriages registered | 89,167 | 127,161 | 118,439 | 120,844 | 118,804 |
| Crude marriage rate | 4.3 | 6.1 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.3 |
How Many People Get Married Each Year in Australia?
As we touched on earlier, the number of marriages during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, was artificially suppressed by restrictions on gatherings and lockdowns.
This makes it tough to draw true comparisons to the years before and 2022.
In 2022, the number of marriages in Australia was at an all-time high of 127,161, this was up from 89,167 in 2021 and 78,987 in 2020.
The number of marriages in 2020 was a historic low, and a drop of 30% compared to 2019 when there were 113,815 marriages registered.
In the years prior to the covid-19 pandemic, the number of marriages each year was trending downwards slightly.
Fortunately, there was a significant jump in the years following the lockdown period, specifically 2022, where levels steadied into 2023 and 2024.
However, as our team of family lawyers in Sydney predicted, this number did not continue to grow.
Instead, as of 2025, the marriage rate has decreased slightly, by a margin of 1.7%, suggesting a progression into the figures we saw before the pandemic.
We expect this trend to remain, with marriage rates shifting by small percentages each year.
However, this is speculation and only statistics over the next few years will be able to show the true trends.
Marriages by Age Groups
The median age at marriage has changed only slightly from 2024: for men it’s now 32.7, and for women it’s 31.2.
These figures rose steadily between 2021 and 2023, from 32.1 to 32.9 for men, and 30.5 to 31.2 for women, before levelling off over the past two years, with most Australians now marrying in their early thirties.
Generationally, this places the bulk of 2025 marriages among millennials, with some crossover from the older end of Gen Z.
| Gender at Marriage | Median Ages (years) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 32.1 | 32.5 | 32.9 | 32.8 | 32.7 |
| Female | 30.5 | 30.9 | 31.2 | 31.2 | 31.2 |
Marriages by State and Territory
New South Wales remains the state with the highest number of registered marriages, accounting for 33.5% of the national total.
Victoria follows as a distant second with 25.4% of registered marriages.
However, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and the ACT all recorded fewer marriages in 2025 than in 2024.
Victoria had the largest decrease, with 5.7% fewer marriages than in 2024.
South Australia recorded the largest increase across Australia, with 4.6% more registered marriages in 2025 compared to the previous year.
| State/Territory | NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 39,659 | 32,050 | 23,595 | 7,500 | 13,366 | 2,364 | 738 | 1,554 |
| 2025 | 39,818 | 30,209 | 23,091 | 7,843 | 13,208 | 2,405 | 739 | 1,469 |
Same-Sex Marriage
The legalisation of same-sex marriage occurred in December 2017.
There was, though, a crossover between the legalisation of gay marriage and the recognition of marriages performed overseas, which previously made it difficult to draw firm conclusions from the data.
The latest figures have helped clarify the specifics of same-sex marriage in Australia.
The number of same-sex marriages in 2025 actually decreased from 2024 figures, in line with the overall decline in marriage rates.
Female same-sex marriages continue to outnumber male, accounting for roughly 2.1% of all registered marriages in 2025.
| Marriages of the same gender | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male marriages of the same gender | 1,075 | 1,767 | 1,735 | 1,893 | 1,849 |
| Female marriages of the same gender | 1,770 | 2,667 | 2,619 | 2,622 | 2,527 |
Marriages by Date of Occurrence
The highest number of marriages occurred during spring and autumn in 2025, following a similar pattern to previous years.
Fewer marriages tend to occur over the Easter and Christmas holidays, as well as during the winter months.
The most popular date to marry in 2025 was 25 October, with 2,035 registered marriages occurring that day.
Other popular dates included:
- 22 November : 1,527 marriages
- 1 November : 1,498 marriages
- 5 April : 1,491 marriages
- 18 October : 1,490 marriages
Saturdays remain the most popular day of the week for marriages, with over 52,000 recorded in 2025.
However, the only day of the week aside from Saturdays and Fridays to appear in the top 50 marriage dates in Australia was Sunday 25 May, with 726 registered marriages.
Interestingly, the 25th-of-the-month pattern (25/MM/25) is a unique trend worth examining. 25 October tops the year because it stacks two effects: it falls on a Saturday and matches the “25/10/25” date gimmick.
This pattern can be seen operating independently of the day of the week :
- 25 May (Sunday) : 726 marriages, compared with a typical Sunday running at 100 to 300
- 25 September (Thursday) : 401 marriages, compared with neighbouring Thursdays at around 150 to 220
This suggests couples are deliberately choosing repeating or matching-digit dates, regardless of which day of the week they fall on.
Are Less People Getting Married in Australia, 2025?
Over the years, there has been a fundamental shift in social attitudes towards marriage in Australia.
The social stigma once attached to “living in sin” has been almost completely eroded in mainstream Australian society.
Today, couples regularly live together and co-parent children outside marriage.
There is also less practical pressure on couples to marry, as a committed couple now has much the same legal and social rights as a married couple.
For instance, a de facto couple can access the same property rights as a married couple, along with similar (although not identical) social security and taxation benefits.
The reduction in the number of marriages and the marriage rate could be attributed to the existence of more socially acceptable alternatives to marriage:
- Cohabitation before marriage : this arrangement allows couples to experience day-to-day life with their partner before deciding on marriage.
- Partnerships : these relationships, often equated with romantic commitment, do not necessarily lead to marriage but are based on mutual respect, love, and shared responsibility.
- De facto relationships : legally recognised, these relationships are akin to marriage but without the formal ceremony. This recognition provides many of the same rights and responsibilities as marriage, including property distribution, financial agreements, and child custody
Divorce Rates in Australia
To begin with, statistics do not capture the lengthy, and often difficult, period of uncertainty that may occur before a couple formally separates or divorces.
Many people spend months, even years, contemplating separation, seeking advice and trying to determine whether the relationship can be repaired.
Some couples may also remain living under the same roof after separating, because of financial pressures, parenting responsibilities or practical considerations.
The formal divorce is often only the final step in a much longer emotional and practical process, as our expert family lawyers in Sydney say.
There is less stigma associated with divorce in Australia in 2025, with fewer people holding the “traditional” values once associated with marriage.
The number of divorces and the crude divorce rate declined steadily between 2021 and 2024, before a slight increase in 2025. Let’s discuss this and other divorce statistics and trends below.
Annual Divorce Rate
The introduction of the Family Law Act 1975 allowed for a no-fault divorce system in Australia.
This meant that from January 1976, people no longer needed to prove their spouse was at fault for the divorce.
Instead, they needed to prove that the relationship had irretrievably broken down.
This change triggered the highest number of divorces ever recorded, with more than 60,000 finalised in 1976.
The crude divorce rate was also at its highest that year, at 4.6.
This peak was driven by the change in the law, which allowed many people who had previously been trying to divorce, but lacked the correct proof or grounds, to finally do so.
In the years that followed, the divorce rate dropped significantly, though it remained higher than it had been prior to the law changes.
In 2025, according to the latest ABS statistics on divorce, the number of divorces granted was 49,158.
This is a 4.1% increase on the 2024 figure of 47,216.
| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divorces granted (no.) | 56,244 | 49,241 | 48,700 | 47,216 | 49,158 |
| Crude divorce rate | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.2 |
Interestingly, since the early 2000s, the number of divorces granted and the divorce rate have steadily declined.
In recent years, excluding 2021, divorce rates have been consistent with levels from 1975, the year prior to the changes in divorce law.
Divorce by Length of Marriage
According to the ABS, the median duration of marriage before separation and divorce has increased slightly compared to the 2024 figures:
| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median duration of marriage to separation (years) | 8.4 | 8.9 | 9.0 | 9.3 | 9.4 |
| Median duration of marriage to divorce (years) | 12.2 | 12.8 | 13.0 | 13.2 | 13.4 |
It is clear that, across all figures addressed by the ABS, relationship length is the most consistent trend in the dataset.
The median time to separation rose every single year, from 8.4 to 9.4 years, and the median time to divorce did too, from 12.2 to 13.4 years.
Unlike the marriage and divorce counts, which tend to fluctuate, this series moves in one direction across all five years.
This is also consistent with our experience at Unified Lawyers, where some couples reach a point when their children are of school age, prompting them to reassess their relationship and consider separation.
Divorce by Ages
In conjunction with the consistent rise in marriage length before separation, couples are divorcing at a gradually older age.
| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median age at divorce, male (years) | 45.9 | 46.7 | 47.1 | 47.1 | 47.3 |
| Median age at divorce, female (years) | 43.0 | 43.7 | 44.1 | 44.1 | 44.4 |
These figures also correlate with the median ages of females and males at marriage.
The median age for women tends to be slightly younger than for men when they marry, so men will naturally be slightly older at divorce too.
However, trends in divorce are more complex than the marriage trends we see in Australia.
Marriages are easier to track because they are registered, making the statistic an objective number we can tally.
Divorce statistics, by contrast, do not capture de facto relationships or people who are currently separated but not yet divorced.
Given the range of modern relationship options, this means divorce rates could look quite different if the data also accounted for de facto separations and informal breakdowns.
What Unified Lawyers See That the ABS Doesn’t Measure
The ABS marriage and divorce statistics are the most reliable numbers in the country, but by design they can only count people who were legally married. A growing number of Australian families don’t fit that description. The enquiries that come to us cover a wider group, and they tell a different story about who is actually seeking help.
These figures describe people who contacted our team over a six-month period in February – July 2026. They are not a national sample and they are not a substitute for ABS data. They show something the official statistics were never designed to capture.
Parenting matters outnumber divorce by a wide margin.
Parenting and custody issues come up in 56% of our enquiries, against 29% for divorce and separation. A single matter can raise more than one issue, so those figures overlap rather than divide the total.
Unified Lawyers enquiry data
Parenting matters outnumber divorce
Share of family law enquiries received by Unified Lawyers, set against what the official statistics are able to record.
Includes de facto and never-married parents, who appear nowhere in ABS divorce figures because there is no registration process for the end of a de facto relationship.
The only group with a direct equivalent in the official statistics, because marriages are registered and divorces are granted by a court.
What the official statistics capture
| Matter type | Our enquiries | Appears in ABS divorce statistics? |
|---|---|---|
| Parenting and custody | 56% | Only where the parents were married and later divorce. De facto and never-married parents are never recorded. |
| Divorce and separation | 29% | Yes, once a divorce order is granted. Separations that never reach that point are not counted. |
A single matter may involve multiple issues, so these figures overlap and will not total 100%. The data reflects people who contacted our family law team between February and July 2026. While it is not a national sample or a substitute for ABS data, it provides a valuable real-world snapshot of the legal concerns families are actively seeking help with, including issues that official statistics were not designed to capture.
Many of these parents were never married. They do not appear anywhere in the ABS divorce figures, because there is no registration process for the end of a de facto relationship. Measure family law demand by parenting disputes rather than divorce filings and the national picture changes shape.
Most people come to us to formalise an agreement, not to fight one.
Within our parenting enquiries, the single largest reason people get in touch is to make an existing arrangement legally binding. Requests for shared care slightly outnumber requests for sole care. The public image of family law is built on contested custody battles.
The more common reality is closer to administration: two parents putting in writing something they have already agreed.
Unified Lawyers enquiry data
Most parents are not calling to fight
The public image of family law is the contested custody battle. What actually arrives is closer to paperwork: two parents who have already worked something out, wanting it made binding.
parenting enquirers who give a specific reason are getting in touch to formalise an arrangement, not to contest one.
What people ask about
Share of all parenting and custody enquiries. One enquiry can raise more than one issue, so these overlap and do not total 100%.
Shared care or sole care
Of the parenting enquirers who state a care preference. Most state none.
This one is a coin flip. The margin of error is wide enough that neither side leads, so read it as an even split rather than a lean towards shared care.
Family law doesn’t run on business hours.
The timing of an enquiry says as much about these situations as any government statistic can.
Unified Lawyers enquiry data
When do people finally make the call?
Every enquiry we receive carries a timestamp. Together they show when Australians reach out for help, and it is not when the offices are open.
arrive outside Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
arrive between 10pm and 6am
Across the day
Hour by hour
Weekdays peak mid-morning. Weekends shift later and run heavier into the evening. Each row is shaded against its own busiest hour, and not a single hour of either row is empty.
Together these patterns point to one gap. Official statistics capture marriage and divorce well. They were never built to capture the full range of ways modern Australian families form and come apart.
Need free legal advice on divorce in Australia?
With the cost of living increasing, and other financial, personal and business pressures, it will be interesting to see future trends in the ABS marriage and divorce rates in Australia.
At Unified Lawyers, we’re eager to see more comprehensive statistics on the separation of de facto couples, as these relationships make up a significant part of modern family life.
However, their breakdown is not captured as clearly as divorce because there is no equivalent formal registration process.
Better data on the duration of de facto relationships, the number involving children and the circumstances in which they end would provide a more accurate picture of relationship breakdown and family law in Australia.
If you find yourself in a position where you and your spouse decide to separate and divorce, here at Unified Lawyers we understand how difficult it can be to contemplate divorcing a spouse, especially when there are children to consider.
Please contact the team for any advice about divorce proceedings, property settlements or child custody negotiations. You can book a free, no obligation consultation by calling us on 1800 572 131 or using the button below.