Weddings in Korea reach highest level since 2018

The number of marriages in South Korea rose to about 240,000 in 2025, extending a three-year rebound after more than a decade of declines, according to the Ministry of Statistics on Thursday.

Marriages last year increased 8.1 percent from 2024, following a 14.8 percent surge the previous year -- the largest annual increase on record. The number of marriages had fallen for 11 consecutive years from 2012 before turning upward in 2023.

Officials attributed the rebound to pent-up demand, as couples moved ahead with weddings postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of marriages dropped to 191,700 in 2022, a record low following 214,000 in 2021, largely due to social distancing measures aimed at containing the virus.

The average age at first marriage reached 33.9 years old for men and 31.6 years old for women, up 1.3 and 1.7 years, respectively, from a decade earlier.

A total of 20,700 marriages involved a Korean and a foreign national, down 0.3 percent from a year earlier and accounting for 8.6 percent of all marriages, extending a decline from a high of 10.2 percent in 2023.

Marriages involving Japanese nationals rose sharply, increasing 26.1 percent for Korean men and 29.3 percent for Korean women.

The husband was older than the wife in 63 percent of marriages, while couples in which the woman was older accounted for 20.2 percent, exceeding 1 in 5 for the first time.

As marriages increased, the number of divorces fell for a sixth consecutive year to 88,000. The average age at divorce rose to 51 years old for men and 47.7 years old for women, each up 0.6 year from the previous year.

Divorced couples had been married for an average of 17.6 years, up 0.3 year from a year earlier and 2.9 years from a decade prior.