NZ Herald 11 January 2014
Marriage is holding its ground among younger New Zealanders after declining dramatically during the 35 years up to 2006.
Figures from this year’s Census, provided by Statistics NZ on request for a series on modern relationships starting in today’s Weekend Herald, show that the proportion of partnered couples in their 20s who are legally married has risen marginally from 35.8 per cent in 2006 to 36.2 per cent.
The increase is tiny, but points to at least a levelling off after a steep decline from 52.8 per cent of partnered couples in their 20s who were legally married in 1996.
There was also a slight increase in the proportion of partnered teenagers who were married, from 4 per cent to 4.6 per cent, and a levelling off among couples in their 30s. The proportion of partnered couples in their 30s who were married fell from 82.4 per cent in 1996 to 70.3 per cent in 2006, but slipped only slightly further to 69.1 per cent in this year’s Census.
Marriage has continued to decline since 2006 in all older age groups, but at a slower rate than in the previous decade.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11184504
