Korea's Marriages Surge to 222,000 in 2023, Marking Highest Growth in 28 Years

In 2023, South Korea recorded approximately 222,000 marriages, marking an increase of 29,000 cases (14.8%) from the previous year. This surge represents the largest annual growth in 28 years since 1996, returning the number of marriages above the 200,000 mark for the first time since 2019.

This significant increase has been attributed to a combination of factors, notably the entry of the "second echo boom generation" (those born in the 1990s) reaching marriageable age, as well as pent-up demand from postponed weddings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Statistics Korea, the rise may also reflect a growing positive perception of marriage and effective government and local policies encouraging matrimony.

The '2024 Marriage and Divorce Statistics' report released by Statistics Korea on March 20 indicates the crude marriage rate (number of marriages per 1,000 people) was 4.4, up by 0.6 from the previous year, the highest since 2019 (4.7). Regionally, the cities with the highest marriage rates were Daejeon (5.6), Sejong (4.8), and Gyeonggi Province (4.6), while Busan and South Gyeongsang Province recorded the lowest rates at 3.5.

International Marriages Rise for Third Consecutive Year; Korean-Japanese Marriages Notably Increase

International marriages totaled 21,000, marking a 5.3% rise from the previous year. However, their proportion among total marriages slightly decreased by 0.8 percentage points to 9.3%.

Particularly noteworthy is the sharp increase in marriages between Korean men and Japanese women, which rose 40% year-on-year, reaching 1,176 cases. Vietnamese (32.1%), Chinese (16.7%), and Thai women (13.7%) represented the largest groups marrying Korean men, while American (28.8%), Chinese (17.6%), and Vietnamese men (15.0%) were most common among those marrying Korean women.

Average Age at First Marriage Gap Narrows; More Couples with Older Brides Than Ever Before

In 2023, the average age at first marriage was 33.9 years for men and 31.6 years for women. Men's average age at first marriage decreased by 0.1 year from the previous year, while women's increased by 0.1 year. The age gap between spouses narrowed to 2.3 years, the smallest recorded since tracking began.

Among first-time marriages, 63.4% involved older grooms, 19.9% older brides, and 16.6% couples of the same age. The proportion of couples where brides were older was the highest since statistics began in 1990.

Divorce Rates Decline for Fifth Straight Year, but Rise in "Twilight Divorces"

The number of divorces decreased by 1.3% year-on-year to 91,000, continuing a downward trend that began in 2020. The crude divorce rate remained stable at 1.8 per 1,000 people.

In terms of age groups, men aged 60 and older accounted for the largest share of divorces (21.3%), followed by men in their early 50s (16.2%) and early 40s (15.6%). Among women, those in their early 40s had the highest divorce rate (17.1%), followed by late 40s (15.2%) and those aged 60 and above (15.0%).

Notably, "twilight divorces"—those involving couples married for over 30 years—accounted for 16.6% of all divorces, showing a clear upward trend.

Regionally, the highest crude divorce rates were observed in Jeju (2.5) and South Chungcheong (2.2), while Seoul (1.3) and Sejong (1.4) recorded comparatively lower rates.