29 Jan 2025

New marriages have significantly declined by 15.1 per cent from 2022 to 2023, the recently released Statistics Botswana Marriages Report for the year 2023 indicates.

According to the report, new marriages decreased from 7 631 in 2021 to 5 642 in 2022 and went down further to 4 789 in 2023.

Before the decline, marriages were on an upward trend, rising from 5 489 in 2018 to a peak of 7 631 in 2021.

The peak represented the highest number of newly registered marriages recorded in a 10 year period from 2013, while the 2023 statistics remained the smallest number of marriages solemnised in a year.

Gaborone, Serowe-Palapye and Kweneng East districts had the highest proportion of marriages in 2023, according to the report.

The report further indicated that the months of April, September, November, and December accounted for more marriages solemnised, each with more than 10 per cent of the marriages recorded in 2023.

The Statistics Botswana report further stated that the most likely reason for the four months was favourable weather conditions and extended public holidays observed during these months.

As per age at marriage, it showed that more men than women married later in life, mostly at 35 years and more, while more women married earlier at under 35 years old.

About 65 per cent of brides were aged less than 40 years, compared to 44 per cent of grooms in the same age range.

Of all marriages in 2023, nine brides and only one groom needed consent from their parents or guardian as they were younger than 21 years.

The report also indicated the age groups with the highest percentage of marriages was the 30-34 and 35-39 age groups for females and males respectively.

On age differences between brides and grooms, it indicated that marriages where the groom was older than the bride accounted for about 80 per cent of the marriages.

Furthermore, it pointed that there were only eight unions solemnised in 2023 where the grooms were 15 or more years younger than their brides, while only 7.5 per cent of the union partners were of the same age.

The report indicated that men generally married younger women, regardless of their marital status at the time of marriage.

The Statistics Botswana report further noted that women who were previously married were more likely than spinsters to marry younger men. ENDS