Stats show increase in marriages in Belgium after Covid pandemic

Almost 50,000 couples got married in Belgium in 2022, up 9 per cent on the average from 2017-2019, with fewer divorces, according to figures from Statbel on Thursday.

Last year saw 48,482 marriages, almost 4,000 more than the average for 2017-2019. ​ Many couples chose or were obliged to postpone their wedding plans during the pandemic, so Statbel refers to 2022 as the "catch-up year".

Of those marriages, 26,571 were contracted in Flanders, 12,848 in Wallonia and 4,277 in Brussels. The increase (17.3 per cent) was particularly striking in Wallonia. In Flanders, this was an increase of 6.3 per cent.

In addition, there were 19,347 divorces last year, 13 per cent less than the average during 2018-2021.

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