Italy recorded its 40th consecutive year of decline in the number of marriages in 2024. This data was confirmed by the National Institute of Statistics (Istat), which counted 173.272 unions celebrated last year. This number represents a 5,9% reduction compared to 2023.
According to Istat, the downward trend has remained strong since the mid-1980s. Preliminary data for 2025 indicate a further contraction of 5,9% in the first nine months of the year, compared to the same period in 2024. Istat reported this Monday (19).
Living together without getting married grows
The decline is attributed to a reduction in the young population, reflecting low birth rates, and changes in family behaviors. The number of informal unions nearly quadrupled between 2000 and 2024, rising from 440.000 to over 1,7 million. Most involve single people who have never married.
Civil marriage is the majority.
In 2024, 61,3% of unions were civil, maintaining the upward trend that began before the pandemic. religious ceremonies They continue to decline, with a contraction of 11,4% compared to 2023.
Civil marriage was dominant in second marriages (95,1%) and in unions with at least one foreign spouse (91,8%). In first marriages, the percentage of civil unions was 50,2%, with a higher concentration in the North (58,5%) and a lower concentration in the South (26%).
The separation of assets was adopted by 74,8% of couples, a rate that has remained stable compared to 2023 and has been growing continuously since the 1990s.
Second marriages are also decreasing.
Second marriages totaled 42.784 in 2024, a 3,5% decrease compared to the previous year. Among couples where both partners had been married before, the decline reached 4,5%. Even so, these unions represent 24,7% of the total. More than half of those getting married who were 50 or older had already been divorced.
Marriages with foreigners have slightly decreased.
Marriages with at least one foreign spouse totaled 29.309 in 2024, 1,4% less than the previous year. The highest concentration occurred in the North-Central region.
There were 21.002 unions between an Italian and a foreigner, with the majority involving Italian men and Romanian, Ukrainian, Brazilian, or Russian women. Italian women, on the other hand, married mainly Moroccans, Tunisians, Albanians, and Romanians.
More marriages with newly Italians
The number of marriages between foreigners who have acquired Italian citizenship is growing. In 2024, 16,5% of mixed marriages involved at least one Italian citizen by naturalization. Among couples of two Italians, 4,9% had at least one naturalized partner.
Italy maintains its international appeal for weddings.
The country remains a popular destination for marriages among non-resident foreigners. In 2024, 3.378 such unions were registered, almost 2% of the national total. This number represents a recovery after the sharp drop in 2020, caused by the pandemic.
Among foreign couples with at least one resident in Italy, 4.929 unions were recorded in 2024, a decrease of 4,9% compared to the previous year.
Marriage is happening later and later.
The average age at first marriage was 34,8 years for men and 32,8 for women. In 2011, the averages were 32,6 and 30,1 years, respectively.
The prolonged stay of young people in their parents' homes influences this postponement. In 2024, 63,3% of Italians up to 35 years old still lived with their families. The phenomenon is amplified in times of economic instability and by the greater acceptance of premarital cohabitation.
Civil unions between same-sex couples are also declining.
Civil unions registered in 2024 totaled 2.936, a decrease of 2,7% compared to 2023. The majority were between men (54,8%). Provisional data for 2025 indicate a further decrease of 3,1%.
The regions with the highest concentration were Lombardy, Lazio, and Emilia-Romagna. One-third of the unions were formalized in large urban centers. Rome leads, followed by Milan.
Unions with at least one foreign partner represented 18,1% of the total. The participation of Italians through acquisition in these registrations also increased: 9,4% in mixed unions and 4,7% in unions between Italians.
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