1.   MARRIAGE

 Number of marriages and Crude Marriage Rate (CMR)

The number of marriages decreased 12.5 per cent from 215,022 (2022) to 188,100 (2023). Thus, CMR decreased from 6.6 (2022) to 5.7 (2023) per thousand population.

Statistics of Muslim marriages contributes 74.5 per cent of total marriages in 2023. The number of Muslim marriages recorded in 2023 was 140,176, decreased 16.8 per cent as compared to 168,467 (2022). CMR declined from 8.2 (2022) to 6.7 (2023) per thousand Muslim population. On the contrary, Non-Muslim marriages increased 2.9 per cent from 46,555 (2022) to 47,924 (2023). Thus, CMR remained unchanged at 4.0 per thousand Non-Muslim population. 

General Marriage Rate (GMR)

GMR for grooms and brides in 2023 decreased from 45.4 to 38.2 and 47.2 to 40.5, respectively. A similar trend was also observed for Muslim, whereby GMR for grooms decreased to 45.8 (2022: 57.2) and brides decreased to 48.3 (2022: 59.0). Meanwhile, GMR for Non-Muslim grooms decreased from 26.0 to 25.8 and brides increased from 27.3 to 27.5. 

Median age at marriage

 The median age of grooms and brides remained at aged 28.0 years and 27.0 years in 2023. Similarly, the median age of grooms and brides for Muslim and Non-Muslim remained unchanged

2. DIVORCE

Number of divorces and Crude Divorce Rate (CDR)

The number of divorces decreased 8.7 per cent from 63,338 (2022) to 57,835 (2023). Thus, CDR decreased from 1.9 (2022) to 1.8 (2023) per thousand population.

Statistics of Muslim divorces contributes 76.6 per cent of total divorces in 2023. The number of Muslim divorces recorded in 2023 was 44,322, decreased 3.9 per cent as compared to 46,138 (2022). CDR decreased from 2.2 (2022) to 2.1 (2023) per thousand Muslim population.  Similarly, Non-Muslim divorces decreased 21.4 per cent from 17,200 (2022) to 13,513 (2023). Therefore, CDR for Non-Muslim decreased from 1.5 (2022) to 1.1 (2023) per thousand Non-Muslim population.

General Divorce Rate (GDR)

General Divorce Rate (GDR) at national level improved in 2023

GDR for males and females improved to 7.8 and 8.0 in 2023 from 8.8 and 8.9 in 2022, respectively. A similar trend was also observed for Muslim. Meanwhile, GDR for Non-Muslim males and females increased from 6.2 to 6.3 and 4.7 to 4.8, respectively.

Median age at divorce by sex

The median age at divorce for males and females remained unchanged at 38.0 years and 35.0 years, respectively. The same trend was recorded for median age for Muslim males and females at aged 37.0 years and 35.0 years, respectively. Meanwhile, the median age for Non-Muslim males and females increased from 39.0 years (2022) to 41.0 years (2023) and 36.0 years to 37.0 years (2023).