The table illustrates the number of religious and civil
marriages
, Use synonyms
as well as
the average Linking Words
age
of brides and bridegrooms in Australia between 1960 and 2000.
Use synonyms
Overall
, Linking Words
while
religious Linking Words
marriages
were Use synonyms
initially
far more common, civil Linking Words
marriages
increased steadily and eventually became the dominant form by 2000. At the same time, the average Use synonyms
age
of both men and women at marriage rose consistently throughout the period.
In 1960, religious ceremonies accounted for 25,000 Use synonyms
marriages
, significantly higher than the 8,000 civil unions recorded. Both figures increased over the next two decades, with religious Use synonyms
marriages
peaking at 50,000 in 1980, the highest point in the table. Use synonyms
However
, Linking Words
this
trend Linking Words
then
reversed, as the number fell sharply to 32,000 in 1990 before experiencing a slight recovery to 34,000 in 2000. Linking Words
By contrast
, civil Linking Words
marriages
grew steadily without interruption, rising from 12,000 in 1970 to 23,000 in 1990, and ultimately reaching 40,000 in 2000, thereby overtaking religious Use synonyms
marriages
.
A consistent upward trend is Use synonyms
also
evident in the average Linking Words
age
of couples. The mean Use synonyms
age
of brides rose gradually from 21 in 1960 to 30 in 2000. Use synonyms
Similarly
, bridegrooms became older over time, with their average Linking Words
age
increasing from 24 to 32. It is notable that men were consistently older than women at the time of marriage, Use synonyms
although
the Linking Words
age
difference remained relatively stable across the years.Use synonyms