Marriages and divorces, Slovenia, 2005

5,769 marriages in 2005
The number of marriages is dropping rapidly. In 2005, the number of marriages dropped below 6 thousand for the first time ever; 5,769 marriages took place or 789 (12%) less than in 2004. In 2005, the number of marriages per 1000 population dropped to 2.9. 90.8% of grooms and 92.7% of brides were married for the first time.

The mean age of groom and bride at marriage is on the rise
The mean age of groom and bride at marriage is on the rise. The mean age of groom has exceeded 30 years of age since the mid-1990s and it was 33 years in 2005. The mean age of bride is also approaching 30 years of age with 29.8 years.

The mean age of groom and bride at first marriage is also on the rise. A groom married for the first time in 2005 was 30.6 years old and a bride 28.2. The mean age of newlyweds was thus almost 6 years higher than 3 decades ago.

The number of marriages is dropping also elsewhere in Europe
The number of marriages is dropping not only in Slovenia but also in other European countries. In 1970, 7.9 marriages per 1000 population took place in EU-25 countries while in 2004 only 4.8.

Slovenia took the last place among EU countries in 2004¹⁾ with 3.3 marriages per 1000 population. The highest marriage rate in Europe had countries like Cyprus (7.2 marriages per 1000 population), Denmark (7.0) and Malta (6.0).

2,647 divorces in 2005 - 10 percent more than in 2004
In 2005, the number of divorces increased with a similar intensity as the drop in the number of marriages. 2,647 divorces took place, which is 236 or 10% more than in 2004. The divorce rate per 1000 population was 1.3, while a year before it was 1.2.

The number of divorces is one of the lowest among EU-25 countries
Although in Slovenia the number of divorces compared to the number of marriages is relatively high, Eurostat data show that it is one of the lowest among EU countries in 2004¹⁾. The divorce rate per 1000 population was lower than in Slovenia only in Italy (0.8) and Greece (1.1). In four countries (Czech Republic, Lithuania, Belgium and Estonia) it varied between 3.0 and 3.2 and in fourteen countries between 2.0 and 2.9. The other two countries in which it was under 2.0 are Poland (1.5) and the Netherlands (1.9).

A marriage divorced in 2005 lasted on average for 16 years
Three decades ago more than one third of all marriages were divorced in the first four years of marriage and more than a quarter lasted for 5-9 years. Only 12% of marriages lasted more than 20 years. In 2005, 14% of marriages lasted up to 4 years and 34.1% of marriages lasted more than 20 years. A marriage divorced in 2005 lasted on average for 16.1 years.


1) The family in the EU25 seen through figures, News Release, Eurostat, 12 May 2006.