APRIL 2022 29 The number of marriages celebrated in 2021 was 29,057 (up 53.7% year-on-year), recovering from the sharp drop recorded in 2020 (18,902; down 43.2% vis-à-vis 2019). The intending spouses were in pre-nuptial cohabitation in about two-thirds (66.2%) of the marriages. On a month-by-month analysis, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nuptiality is also noteworthy. April 2020 saw the lowest number of marriages since records began (117) and the year-on-year rate of change remained negative until March 2021. In close relation, April 2021 brought a peak in the year-on-year rate of change which, although less so, remained positive until the end of 2021. Marriages and the year-on-year rate of change, Portugal, 2020 and 2021 In 2021, the parents of three out of five (60.0%) live births were not married to each other, thus maintaining the growth trend of this indicator (+14.5 p.p. in the last decade). Considering the form of celebration, opposite-sex marriages were distributed as follows: • Catholic: 28.4% (8,097); • Civil: 71.3% (20,317); • Other: 0.3% (94). Between 2012 and 2021, there is an increase of about 4 years in the average age at marriage and about 3 years in the average age at first marriage for both genders. Mean age at marriage and mean age at first marriage by sex, Portugal, 2012-2021 More information is available at: Vital statistics - 2021 27 April 2022 41% - 800 - 400 400 800 1,200 -4,000 -3,000 -2,000 -1,000 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2020 2021 Marriages (le� axis) Year-on-year rate of change (right axis) No. % COVID-19 PANDEMIC 32.9 34.3 36.5 39.0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Mean age at first marriage - M Mean age at first marriage - H Mean age at marriage - M Mean age at marriage - H No.
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