The number of marriages in Belgium increased in 2024, reaching 48,589, marking a 4.3% rise compared to the previous year and the highest figure since the start of the century.
Belgians are tying the knot at an older age. Marriage rates grew by 6.7% in Flanders, while increases in Wallonia and Brussels were approximately 3%. A quarter of Belgians married someone of a different nationality, and one in ten formalised their union abroad. Around 3% of marriages involved same-sex couples, a rate unchanged from the previous year.
Median age at first marriage rose from 30.3 years in 2019 to 31.7 years in 2024. For subsequent marriages, the median age climbed from 45.1 years in 2019 to 49.1 years in 2024.
One in three of these marriages does not last. The divorce rate has remained stable in recent years, standing at 37.7%. In 2024, there were 19,883 divorces recorded in Belgium. Half of these divorcing couples had minor children and ended their marriage after an average duration of 12 years.
The median age at divorce continues to shift. In 2024, it was 45.3 years compared to 44.9 years in 2019. In about 8% of divorces, one of the partners was over 65 years old.
