Marriage rates are declining globally, with fewer people marrying and many delaying marriage until later in life. In South Africa, a decline in marriage registrations; a rise in cohabitation; and changes in family structures are raising important social, legal, and economic concerns. Marriage has historically been one of the main institutions that shapes family life across societies. However, many countries now experience major shifts in partnership patterns. Globally, marriage rates have declined significantly over the past few decades as cohabitation, delayed unions, and alternative family structures become more common. A recent South African study examined global marriage trends with a specific focus on South Africa’s changing marriage patterns between 2000 and 2023.

The study’s aim was to analyse global trends in declining marriage rates and examine how economic, cultural, legal, and social factors influence marriage patterns in South Africa. To achieve the research aims, the study analysed global and South African marriage data using statistics from the United Nations (UN), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). The researchers reviewed long-term trends relating to civil marriages, customary marriages, civil unions, cohabitation, and changing family structures.

The study found that marriage rates have declined across many regions globally. In OECD countries marriage rates dropped from approximately 5–7 marriages per 1 000 people in 1990 to between 3–5 per 1 000 by 2022, with the OECD average declining to 4.3 marriages per 1 000 people.

South Africa showed a particularly sharp decline in formal marriages. Annual registered civil marriages decreased from approximately 186 522 in 2008 to only 99 289 in 2023. The study also found that South Africa’s marriage rate declined from above 3 marriages per 1 000 people in the early 2000s to approximately 1.7 per 1 000 in 2023. The findings further showed that South Africans are marrying later in life. In 2023, the median age of first-time bridegrooms was approximately 37–38 years, while brides were approximately 33–34 years old, compared to around 30 years for men and 27 years for women two decades earlier.

The study also found that cohabitation has increasingly replaced formal marriage, with many couples choosing long-term partnerships without legal registration. Approximately 61% of births in South Africa now occur outside marriage, reflecting changes in social attitudes toward family formation.

The researchers further highlighted that many customary marriages remain unregistered despite legal recognition, which has left many women without legal protection in cases involving inheritance, pensions, and property rights. The COVID-19 pandemic also accelerated the decline in marriage registrations, with civil marriages dropping to 89 338 in 2020 during lockdown restrictions.

The study identified several contributing factors to declining marriage rates, including unemployment, financial pressures, changing gender roles, increased acceptance of cohabitation, delayed financial independence, and the rising costs associated with lobola and weddings.

The study concludes that marriage in South Africa is becoming less common and increasingly delayed, reflecting broader global social changes. The researchers argue that policymakers and legal institutions may need to adapt to changes in family structures through the improvement of protections for cohabiting partners and addressing the economic pressures that contribute to the decline in the marriage rate.