Number of marriages in Hungary at historic low

The number of marriages in Hungary has hit a 100-year low, an advisor to the country's Central Statistical Office (KSH) said last week.

KSH head consultant Ferenc Kamarás told inforadio.hu that only 38,500 couples were married in 2007, a drop of 9% compared to the previous year. Kamarás said this figure is considered a historic low, as only during the First World War was the number lower.

The marriage rate in Hungary remained stable until the 1980s, but over the decade and a half it has dropped radically. For the first time, the number of people over 15 living outside of marriage represents a majority of the population, with only 47 out of every 100 women getting married or otherwise entering into a legal partnership before the age of 50.

The number of unofficial life partnerships grew dramatically between 1990 and 2005, from 125,000 to 350,000. One-fifth of Hungarians under 25 live in a life partnership, Kamarás added.

Meanwhile, the number of children born out of wedlock continues to grow, with the rate of illegitimacy tripling in recent years, from 12% in the 1990s to 36% in 2006.

As for the reason behind the drop-off in marriage, Kamarás said one factor appears to be that many younger people try to achieve financial stability before starting a family.

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