In honor of Tu B'Av: A look at marriage in Israel
Ahead of the Jewish Valentine's Day, the Central Bureau of Statistics releases data on marriage in the State of Israel; higher marriage rates than Europe, but older brides and grooms.
According to the data, rates of marriage in Israel are much higher than most European countries, albeit at a later age. In recent decades, the average age of marriage has increased, especially among the Jewish population.
In 2015, 53,579 couples were married in religious institutions in Israel, about 73 percent of whom were Jews. In the same year, 9,299 weddings were held abroad, with at least one partner being registered with the Population and Immigration Authority.
In terms of the ages of both the bride and the groom, the average age of grooms stood at 27.5, while the average age of brides was recorded as 25.2.
When examining only the Jewish population, the average of grooms in 2015 was 28. This compared to 1970, when the average age was 25. Similarly, for Jewish brides in 2015, the average age was 26.1, while in 1970, that number stood at 21.8.
As a result of the increase in marriage age in the Jewish population, the percentage of single Jewish men between the ages of 25-29 rose from 28% in 1970 to 62% in 2015. Similarly, the same measure of single Jewish women between the ages of 25-29 rose from 13% in 1970 to 46% in 2015.
In turn, as a result of the increase in marriage age amongst the Jewish population, an increase in unmarried Jewish men and women has also been observed. For example, the percentage of unmarried Jewish men between the ages of 45-49 in 1970 stood at only 3%, while in 2015, that number has jumped to 12%. Similarly, the same measure for unmarried Jewish women increased from 2% in 1970 to 9% in 2015.
The Jewish population in communities with over 10,000 residents, such as Even Yehuda, Kiryat Tivon and Tel Aviv-Jaffa, is characterized by a high percentage of single men and women aged 25-29 in relation to the total Jewish population. Comparatively, Modiin Illit, Beitar Illit, Elad and Bnei Brak—all religious communities—are characterized by a low percentage of never-married men.
Despite increases in the age of marriage among the Jewish population, Israel has a high marriage rate.
Worldwide, marriage rates are measured by the number of weddings per 1,000 people (gross marriage rate). Among the general population in Israel, the rate is 6.4 on average—6.2 among Jews, 8.5 among Muslims, 7.4 among Druze and 5.3 among Christians.
The gross marriage rate in Israel is one of the highest in OECD countries, where rates range from 3.1 in countries such as Portugal and Slovenia, to 7.8 in Turkey—the country with the highest marriage rate among the OECD countries. Turkey is followed by Lithuania, Cyprus, the United States, Latvia and Israel.
