Marriage in Germany
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Marriage in Germany is governed by the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch in sections 1297 to 1588 of the fourth book of the code as a branch of family law.[citation needed] Marriage may only be conducted by a civil registrar, although couples may also participate in religious ceremonies. People who are not citizens or residents may marry in Germany.[1] Since 1 October 2017, same-sex couples may marry.[2]
Marriages between German and foreigner
Almost 10 million married couples lived without children, about 6.5 million couples had at least one child under the age of 18. At the end of 2022, 49 percent of German adult population was married.[3]
| Year | Number
of marriages |
Marriage rate
(per 1,000) |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 750,452 | 10.8 |
| 1951 | 718,166 | 10.3 |
| 1952 | 659,779 | 9.4 |
| 1953 | 620,121 | 8.8 |
| 1954 | 605,392 | 8.5 |
| 1955 | 617,228 | 8.7 |
| 1956 | 630,932 | 8.9 |
| 1957 | 632,659 | 8.9 |
| 1958 | 648,471 | 9.0 |
| 1959 | 665,844 | 9.2 |
| 1960 | 689,028 | 9.4 |
| 1961 | 699,339 | 9.5 |
| 1962 | 696,317 | 9.4 |
| 1963 | 655,974 | 8.7 |
| 1964 | 642,037 | 8.5 |
| 1965 | 621,130 | 8.1 |
| 1966 | 606,133 | 7.9 |
| 1967 | 600,247 | 7.8 |
| 1968 | 563,826 | 7.3 |
| 1969 | 571,737 | 7.3 |
| 1970 | 575,233 | 7.4 |
| 1971 | 562,235 | 7.2 |
| 1972 | 548,707 | 7.0 |
| 1973 | 532,022 | 6.7 |
| 1974 | 516,081 | 6.5 |
| 1975 | 528,811 | 6.7 |
| 1976 | 510,318 | 6.5 |
| 1977 | 505,889 | 6.5 |
| 1978 | 469,278 | 6.0 |
| 1979 | 481,707 | 6.2 |
| 1980 | 496,603 | 6.3 |
| 1981 | 487,832 | 6.2 |
| 1982 | 486,856 | 6.2 |
| 1983 | 495,392 | 6.4 |
| 1984 | 498,040 | 6.4 |
| 1985 | 496,175 | 6.4 |
| 1986 | 509,320 | 6.5 |
| 1987 | 523,847 | 6.7 |
| 1988 | 534,903 | 6.8 |
| 1989 | 529,597 | 6.7 |
| 1990 | 516,388 | 6.5 |
| 1991 | 454,291 | 5.7 |
| 1992 | 453,428 | 5.6 |
| 1993 | 442,605 | 5.4 |
| 1994 | 440,244 | 5.4 |
| 1995 | 430,534 | 5.3 |
| 1996 | 427,297 | 5.2 |
| 1997 | 422,776 | 5.2 |
| 1998 | 417,420 | 5.1 |
| 1999 | 430,674 | 5.2 |
| 2000 | 418,550 | 5.1 |
| 2001 | 389,591 | 4.7 |
| 2002 | 391,963 | 4.7 |
| 2003 | 382,911 | 4.6 |
| 2004 | 395,992 | 4.8 |
| 2005 | 388,451 | 4.7 |
| 2006 | 373,681 | 4.5 |
| 2007 | 368,922 | 4.5 |
| 2008 | 377,055 | 4.6 |
| 2009 | 378,439 | 4.6 |
| 2010 | 382,047 | 4.7 |
| 2011 | 377,816 | 4.7 |
| 2012 | 387,423 | 4.8 |
| 2013 | 373,655 | 4.6 |
| 2014 | 385,952 | 4.8 |
| 2015 | 400,115 | 4.9 |
| 2016 | 410,426 | 5.0 |
| 2017 | 407,466 | 4.9 |
| 2018 | 449,466 | 5.4 |
| 2019 | 416,324 | 5.0 |
| 2020 | 373,304 | 4.5 |
| 2021 | 357,785 | 4.3 |
| 2022 | 390,743 | 4.7 |
| 2023 | 360,979 | 4.3 |
| 2024 | 349,221 | 4.2 |
Of the total of around 21 million married couples in Germany in 2005, 6.3 percent were international (compared to 1996 an increase of 3% to 1.3 million). With 602,000 married couples, the wife is of foreign origin (for 545,000 the husband). In the case of unmarried couples each consisting of a foreigner and a German national, the number of foreign men prevails over the number of foreign women (104,000 to 80,000). The ratio of partners from EU countries to partners from non-EU countries is around 2:3. 45,915 international marriages, in which one of the partners has a German passport and the other a foreign passport, were concluded in Germany in 2015, that is 11.5% of all new marriages or every 9th Married couple. Almost two generations before, in 1960, in the old Federal Republic, only every 27th fresh couple was international (3.7%).[6]
| Marriages | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female German, Male Foreigner | 18,547 | 19,382 | 18,639 | 16,849 | 20,968 |
| Male German, Female Foreigner | 21,890 | 22,769 | 22,665 | 21,373 | 25,604 |
| Male German, Male Foreigner | 829 | 905 | 891 | 928 | 1,279 |
| Female German, Female Foreigner | 396 | 411 | 386 | 354 | 496 |
References
- ↑ Auswärtiges Amt. "Marriage in Germany". www.germany.info. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ↑ Eddy, Melissa (1 October 2017). "Same-Sex Couples Wed in Germany as Marriage Law Takes Effect". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ↑ "Menschen in Deutschland bei erster Heirat immer älter – Durchschnittsalter auf neuem Höchststand". Statistisches Bundesamt (in German). Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ↑ "Marriages, divorces (time series)". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ↑ "Marriages and average age at marriage of singles". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ↑ "(S+) Binationale Ehen in Deutschland". Der Spiegel (in German). 2017-03-24. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
- ↑ "Marriages between German and Foreigner". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 2025-06-12.
External links
