The Daily. Thursday, November 15, 2001

Marriages

The average Canadian bride and groom were well over 30 years old in 1998, according to new data on marriages.

The average age of a bride, including first-time brides as well as previously divorced women and widows, was 31.1 in 1998, up from 28.6 in 1988. The average man was wed at 33.7 years old in 1998, compared with 31.2 a decade earlier.

When marrying for the first time, men and women were also older than before. The average age of first-time brides in 1998 was 27.6 years, compared with 25.5 in 1988; first-time grooms averaged  29.6 years of age, compared with 27.6 in 1988.

In total, 152,821 couples were married in 1998, virtually unchanged (-0.3%) from 1997. The crude marriage rate in 1998 was 5.1 for every 1,000 population, well below the most recent peak of 7.0 in both 1988 and 1989, following a surge in remarriages after changes to the Divorce Act.

Marriages and crude marriage rates

Prince Edward Island had the highest marriage rate at 6.4 per 1,000 population, followed by Alberta at 6.1. Quebec, which had the lowest marriage rate in 1998 at 3.1, was also the province with the greatest decrease in marriage ceremonies between 1997 and 1998 (-4.2%). The declines, especially in Quebec, may be partly a result of the popularity of common-law relationships.

Grooms were older than the brides in 66% of the ceremonies in 1998, younger than the brides in 23%, and the same age in 11%. On average, brides and grooms were 5.2 years apart when the groom was the older partner, and 3.7 years apart when the groom was the younger.

Three-quarters of both brides and grooms got married for the first time in 1998. One-fifth (22%) of brides and grooms remarried following divorce, while only 3% of brides and grooms had been widowed prior to their marriage.

Marriages-shelf tables, 1998 (84F0212XPB, $20) is now available. To order this product or custom tabulations, call Client Services (613-951-1746). For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Leslie Geran (613-951-5243), Health Statistics Division.