Dutch people get married later and later in life, according to new data from Statistics Netherlands, as quoted in the Telegraaf. In 2011 men were on average 37 years old and women were 34 years old when they got married.
In 2000 this average age was much lower, with men and women marrying at ages 34 and 31, respectively. The increase in average age was sharpest during the period from 2010 to 2011, when in a single year the average age increased by 4 months.
According to a CBS spokesperson, more people are living together unmarried and for longer periods of time, and the number of registered partnerships has increased over time. As such, it is taking longer for people to take the next step and actually get married.
The number of people getting married has also decreased. In 2000 there were 88.000 marriages, while in 2011 this number had fallen to 71.000, a decrease of 19 percent over an 11 year period.
However, the CBS spokesperson noted that this decrease was sharpest from 2010 to 2011 and attributed it (at least in part) to the economic crisis.