The most popular month to get married in Northern Ireland revealed

New figures show the average age of brides and grooms continue to rise

The most popular month to get married in Northern Ireland has been revealed, as the average age of brides and grooms continue to rise.

New figures from the Registrar General’s 103rd annual report revealed today, November 20, show that August was the most popular month to get married in Northern Ireland in 2024.

Through the year, 7,251 marriages were registered, including 255 same-sex marriages. August was the most popular month to get married in 2024 with 1,144 marriages taking place. There were 52 civil partnerships registered in 2024 (up from 39 registered in 2023).

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The average age for brides and grooms increased to 34.4 and 36.3 years respectively, compared with 27.7 years for brides and 29.8 years for grooms in 1994.

Additionally, the report also highlights details such as the average age of first-time mums, the number of births to teenage mothers, and the number of adoptions.

In 2024, the porportion of births to teenage months dropped to a record low. In 2023, 436 births to teenage mothers (under the age of 20) occurred, with the lowest on record being recorded in 2024 at 380.

As a proportion of all births, births to teenage mothers fell slightly from 2.1 per cent of all births in 2023 to 2.0 per cent of the 19,416 births registered in 2024.

The average age of first-time mums continues to rise, up from 26.3 years in 1994 to 29.6 years in 2024. The average age of all mums similarly rose, from 28.6 years to 31.5 years over the last three decades.

Of the 19,416 births registered in 2024 (9,989 males and 9,427 females), 46.0 per cent occurred outside of marriage/civil partnership, compared to 22.1 per cent three decades ago.

The number of adoptions increased by 24.3 per cent from 107 in 2023 to 133 in 2024, with the average age children were adopted being five years old.

The number of gender recognition registrations, whereby individuals re-registered their birth with a new gender, completed in 2024 was 22, up from 20 in 2023.

The General Register Office for Northern Ireland stores records of births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships, stillbirths and adoptions in Northern Ireland.

Its annual report provides statistics on a number of areas to help inform policy. For example, the number of births has implications for planning maternity services and schools.

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