Marriages Statistics. 2024
The total number of marriages in Catalonia in 2024 was 27,836. This figure represents an increase of 2.8% compared with 2023.
In 2024, the crude nuptiality rate was 3.5 per 1,000 inhabitants. The average age at first marriage for grooms was 37.4 years and for brides 35.4 years (0.2 years older for men and 0.3 years older for women compared with 2023).
By areas of the Territorial Plan, the age at first marriage was highest in the Metropolitan Area (37.7 years for grooms and 35.8 years for brides) and L’Alt Pirineu i Aran (37.4 years for grooms and 35.1 years for brides). Conversely, Les Terres de l’Ebre and Ponent were the areas with the youngest ages at first marriage (36.4 years for grooms and 33.9 years for brides in both areas).
Regarding the sex of the spouses, Idescat is presenting new tables on same-sex marriages, distinguishing between marriages between men and marriages between women, with retrospective data since 2012.
Out of the total number of marriages in 2024, 26,652 (95.7%) were between opposite-sex couples and 1,184 (4.3%) between same-sex couples. Of the latter, 538 were between men and 646 between women.
In 2024, considering the nationality of the spouses in opposite-sex marriages, those formed by two spouses of Spanish nationality were the majority, with a total of 21,166 (79.4%; which is lower than the 80.1% in 2023) while mixed marriages (one foreign national and one Spanish national) amounted to 4,543 (17%; which is higher than the 16.5% in 2023). Last, marriages between foreign nationals accounted for 943 (3.5%; the same percentage as in 2023).
According to the nationality of the spouses in marriages between men, those formed by two spouses of Spanish nationality accounted for 66.5% of the total, mixed marriages for 28.4% and marriages between spouses of foreign nationality for 5%. With regard to the nationality of spouses in marriages between women, those formed by two spouses of Spanish nationality accounted for 82.5% of the total, mixed marriages for 14.7% and marriages between spouses of foreign nationality for 2.8%.
As for the type of ceremony, exclusively civil marriages were the majority (91.2%) while Catholic ceremonies accounted for 8.6%. The remaining 0.2% were marriages entered into through other types of ceremonies.
By months, the highest number of marriages were recorded in June (3,660) and September (3,398) while the fewest were in August (1,000) and January (1,139).
In 2024, nuptiality increased in all areas of the Territorial Plan except in El Camp de Tarragona and the Central Counties. In relative terms, the highest nuptiality rate was in El Penedès (3.9 marriages per 1,000 inhabitants) followed by the Central Counties (3.8‰). Conversely, the lowest rates were in Ponent and L’Alt Pirineu i Aran (3.2‰ both).
By counties, in 2024 the highest nuptiality rates were recorded in El Priorat (5.0 marriages per 1,000 inhabitants), El Lluçanès (4.4‰) and L’Alt Penedès (4.3‰), while the counties with the lowest nuptiality rates were La Segarra (1.8‰), L’Alta Ribagorça (2.5‰) and Aran (2.8‰).