Fewer South Africans are tying the knot, while divorce rates continue to rise, according to the latest Stats SA report. Picture Credit: Desiblitz
By Aisha Zardad
South Africa — South Africa is seeing a shift in relationship trends, with fewer people getting married while divorce rates continue to climb, according to the latest report by Statistics South Africa.
The Marriages and Divorces 2024 report shows declines across all forms of registered unions. A total of 97,510 civil marriages were recorded in 2024, with 2,634 customary marriages and 2,229 civil unions — all reflecting year-on-year drops.
Registered civil marriages declined by 1.8%, while customary marriages saw a sharp decrease of 25.5%. Civil unions also dipped by 3.0%.
Despite the overall decline, civil marriages remained the most common type of union, with the majority of couples marrying for the first time. The data shows that 77.4% of bridegrooms and 84.5% of brides had not been previously married.
Regionally, Gauteng and the Western Cape continued to lead in marriage registrations, accounting for 24.1% and 23.0% of civil marriages respectively.
Age trends are also shifting, with civil marriage median ages at 39 for men and 35 for women. Customary marriages were lower at 35 and 29, while civil unions recorded median ages of 35 and 34.
Customary marriages were largely concentrated in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, which together made up 54% of registrations. Civil unions, on the other hand, were heavily concentrated in Gauteng, accounting for 42.3% of such unions.
While fewer couples are formalising their relationships, divorce rates are trending upward.
A total of 24,202 divorces were processed in 2024 — an 8.9% increase from the 22,230 recorded in 2023.
The data shows that women were more likely than men to initiate divorces, accounting for 57.2% of cases, compared to 33.0% filed by men.
The figures show men typically divorce at 46 and women at 42, highlighting that many marriages end in later stages of life.
However, shorter marriages are also showing signs of strain. The report found that 41.7% of divorces in 2024 involved marriages that lasted less than 10 years.
According to Statistics South Africa, divorce figures for 2024 may be revised, as some cases were still being processed at the time of publication.
