Tuesday the 28th April saw the release of figures from the CSO Frontier Series, which provides a 10-year analysis of the different types of marriage ceremonies chosen by people in Ireland over the years 2014 to 2024. Notable amongst the figures was the 68% increase in humanist ceremonies in that time period. Roman Catholic ceremonies were the most common marriage type in 2014 at 13,071, but by 2024, these had fallen by almost 51% to 6,425, making them the second most popular choice for couples. In 2024, Civil Registrations were the most popular type of ceremony at 6,743.

The five most popular ceremony types in 2024 were: Civil Registrations, Roman Catholic, Humanist, Spiritualist Union of Ireland, and OneSpirit. These accounted for 85% of all wedding ceremonies in Ireland. In addition to the change in ceremony preferences, the number of marriages has fallen by 7.7% between 2014 and 2024.

HAI Operations Manager, Niamh Clowry highlighted the significant upward trend in the figures and how positive it is to see so many couples opting for humanist weddings in Ireland,

“ It’s clear from the data and figures released that in the past ten years traditional religious weddings are in a significant decline and that Ireland is a less religious, more secular country. We are clearly seeing that with more choice people are moving towards secular and civil ceremonies, and the HAI are delighted to be in a position to offer that choice to those who wish to have humanist ceremonies in Ireland.”

 

Summary of Key Findings:

• Over the 10-year period 2014-2024, the number of marriages has fallen by 7.7% from 22,045 to 20,348.
• Roman Catholic ceremonies were the most common marriage type in 2014 at 13,071, while in 2024 these had fallen by almost 51% to 6,425 such ceremonies, making them the second most popular choice. Civil Registrations were the most popular type of ceremony in 2024 at 6,743.
• Between 2014 and 2024 there was a 68% rise in the number of Humanist ceremonies.
• Church of Ireland ceremonies accounted for two in every hundred marriages in 2014, while in 2024 these ceremonies accounted for one in every hundred.
• In 2024, the five most popular ceremony types, Civil Registrations, Roman Catholic, Humanist, Spiritualist Union of Ireland, and OneSpirit accounted for 85% of all wedding ceremonies in Ireland.

Full details of the Figures can be accessed here Changes in Irish Marriage Ceremonies 2014-2024 – Central Statistics Office