19 April 2024 | See disclaimer
Content disclaimer: Please note that this article discusses potentially sensitive topics such as marriage, family and fertility.
Marriage and family are important parts of Australian society. But are times changing? How do Australians view marriage and family in today’s landscape?
We surveyed almost 1,000 Australians 18 and over about their thoughts and opinions on the meaning of marriage and family.
Quick Stats
Almost half of Australians surveyed are married while more than a third have never been married.
The majority of respondents aged 18 to 24 said they wanted children.
Financial considerations were the second most common reason why respondents said they didn’t want children.
Older respondents were more likely to want bigger families than younger respondents.
Marriage and Divorce Statistics
There were a record number of marriages in 2022, with more than 127,000 marriages in one year. New South Wales had the most number of marriages that year, followed by Victoria and Queensland.
Meanwhile, in 2022 the median age for marriage in Australia was 32.5 years for men and 30.9 years for women. [1]
In the same year, there were almost 50,000 divorces in Australia. The median length of a marriage in 2022 increased to 12.8 years from 12.2 years the year before. [1]
Find out about Australian Marriage and Divorce Statistics in 2023.
Family and Children Statistics
In 2021, almost half of all Australian families were made up of couples with children while couples with no children made up 38.8% of Australian families. [2]
The portion of one-parent families in Australia slightly increased in 2021 to 15.9% from 14.5% in 1996. [3]
Meanwhile, in couple families, 53% had children living at home while 47% were empty nesters. [3]
The average number of people per household in Australia has dropped from 2.6 in 2016 to 2.5 in 2021. [3]
Types of Australian Families
Marriage and Family Survey Results
To better understand how Australians feel about marriage and family, we surveyed almost 1,000 participants. Explore our findings below.
Have you been married before?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
Almost half of Australians surveyed are currently married while 35% have never been married.
South Australian respondents had the highest rate of divorce with 18.1% saying they were currently separated or divorced while 5.6% said they had been divorced and now remarried.
Meanwhile, Queensland had the highest percentage of married respondents (49.5%).
Almost a third of respondents aged 65 to 69 were separated or divorced.
Meanwhile, male respondents were more likely to be divorced and remarried with 5.2% of men surveyed saying this compared to 2.9% of women surveyed.
Do you want to get married?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
Just less than a quarter of those surveyed said they wanted to get married, while 17.9% said they didn’t want to get married and 15% said they were unsure.
Those surveyed in Western Australia were the most likely to say they didn’t want to get married, according to 21.8% of respondents.
While it was more likely that older respondents were currently married, younger respondents were more likely to say they wanted to be married in the future.
Of those surveyed aged 18 to 24, 70.5% said they wanted to be married.
Meanwhile, women who were surveyed were slightly more likely than the men surveyed to say they wanted to be married, while male respondents were more likely to already be married.
Why do you want to get married or why did you want to get married?*
Rank |
Reason |
Percentage of respondents |
|---|---|---|
1st |
It's a celebration of love |
60.2% |
2nd |
It's a sign of commitment |
58.1% |
3rd |
It's an important milestone |
34.0% |
4th |
Family influences |
12.1% |
5th |
For cultural/religious reasons |
11.8% |
6th |
Partner influences |
10.3% |
7th |
For financial security |
10.1% |
8th |
Because we had kids |
10.1% |
9th |
Social influences |
9.5% |
10th |
Unsure |
4.9% |
11th |
Other |
3.3% |
18-24 |
25-29 |
30-34 |
35-39 |
40-44 |
45-49 |
50-54 |
55-59 |
60-64 |
65-69 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
It's a sign of commitment |
54.9% |
56.8% |
61.2% |
59.0% |
59.7% |
56.1% |
57.4% |
64.7% |
55.6% |
53.7% |
It's an important milestone |
45.1% |
56.8% |
33.7% |
33.3% |
39.0% |
34.9% |
21.3% |
17.7% |
18.5% |
22.2% |
For cultural/religious reasons |
13.4% |
12.5% |
16.3% |
7.7% |
7.8% |
18.2% |
6.6% |
3.9% |
9.3% |
14.8% |
It's a celebration of love |
58.5% |
64.8% |
64.3% |
61.5% |
57.1% |
56.1% |
54.1% |
58.8% |
57.4% |
51.9% |
For financial security |
13.4% |
17.1% |
8.2% |
5.1% |
11.7% |
12.1% |
8.2% |
19.6% |
11.1% |
3.7% |
Family influences |
15.9% |
23.9% |
14.3% |
12.8% |
11.7% |
9.1% |
11.5% |
5.9% |
1.9% |
13.0% |
Partner influences |
13.4% |
13.6% |
12.2% |
7.7% |
11.7% |
13.6% |
6.6% |
3.9% |
9.3% |
7.4% |
Social influences |
15.9% |
12.5% |
11.2% |
12.8% |
10.4% |
10.6% |
8.2% |
5.9% |
3.7% |
7.4% |
Because we had kids |
8.5% |
8.0% |
13.3% |
12.8% |
14.3% |
13.6% |
14.8% |
7.8% |
11.1% |
1.9% |
Other |
0.0% |
1.1% |
2.0% |
1.3% |
2.6% |
7.6% |
0.0% |
5.9% |
3.7% |
9.3% |
Unsure |
4.9% |
2.3% |
5.1% |
5.1% |
3.9% |
10.6% |
3.3% |
0.0% |
7.4% |
5.6% |
*Respondents were able to select more than one response, values may not add up to 100%.
For respondents who were married or wanted to get married, the majority said the celebration of love was why they chose marriage.
This was closely followed by it being a sign of commitment and that it’s an important milestone.
Financial security was a top reason to get married for 17.1% of respondents in the 25 to 29 age group and 19.6% of respondents in the 55 to 59 age group.
Women who were surveyed were much more likely to get married because it was a celebration of love or for financial security.
Meanwhile, men who were surveyed were more likely to get married because of partner influences.
The social influence of marriage was most common for those in South Australia and Victoria with more than one in ten respondents from each state saying this was why they wanted to or did get married.
Why don't you want to get married?*
Rank |
Reason |
Percentage of respondents |
|---|---|---|
1st |
I like my current situation |
36.6% |
2nd |
I like my independence |
35.4% |
3rd |
It doesn't seem necessary |
34.8% |
4th |
I'm not interested |
28.0% |
5th |
It's too expensive |
25.9% |
6th |
I've already been married |
24.0% |
7th |
I think it's an outdated concept |
21.9% |
8th |
Negative experience |
14.5% |
9th |
I don't want to share finances |
12.9% |
10th |
I don't want to get divorced |
7.4% |
11th |
Other |
4.9% |
12th |
Unsure |
4.0% |
18-24 |
25-29 |
30-34 |
35-39 |
40-44 |
45-49 |
50-54 |
55-59 |
60-64 |
65-69 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Not interested |
15.8% |
16.7% |
20.0% |
18.2% |
26.1% |
23.7% |
22.9% |
33.3% |
40.7% |
46.2% |
Like independence |
10.5% |
29.2% |
30.0% |
31.8% |
17.4% |
21.1% |
37.1% |
36.7% |
48.2% |
46.2% |
It's outdated |
10.5% |
29.2% |
23.3% |
31.8% |
39.1% |
31.6% |
17.1% |
10.0% |
22.2% |
19.2% |
Like my current situation |
15.8% |
29.2% |
26.7% |
22.7% |
26.1% |
29.0% |
42.9% |
26.7% |
51.9% |
38.5% |
Don't want to share finances |
0.0% |
16.7% |
6.7% |
13.6% |
13.0% |
10.5% |
17.1% |
6.7% |
22.2% |
15.4% |
Too expensive |
5.3% |
58.3% |
53.3% |
36.4% |
43.5% |
23.7% |
20.0% |
20.0% |
18.5% |
19.2% |
Not necessary |
31.6% |
33.3% |
43.3% |
27.3% |
52.2% |
39.5% |
31.4% |
36.7% |
25.9% |
42.3% |
Don't want to divorce |
0.0% |
8.3% |
3.3% |
13.6% |
13.0% |
13.2% |
5.7% |
6.7% |
11.1% |
3.9% |
Already been married |
15.8% |
4.2% |
6.7% |
9.1% |
4.4% |
18.4% |
14.3% |
23.3% |
22.2% |
61.5% |
Negative experience |
5.3% |
8.3% |
6.7% |
18.2% |
0.0% |
13.2% |
2.9% |
23.3% |
14.8% |
42.3% |
Other |
21.1% |
4.2% |
6.7% |
0.0% |
4.4% |
2.6% |
5.7% |
0.0% |
3.7% |
0.0% |
Unsure |
5.3% |
0.0% |
6.7% |
4.6% |
4.4% |
10.5% |
2.9% |
0.0% |
7.4% |
3.9% |
*Respondents were able to select more than one response, values may not add up to 100%.
For those who said they didn’t want to get married, the most common reason was because they liked their current situation.
This was followed by not getting married because they liked their independence or because it didn’t seem necessary.
Women who were surveyed were more likely to not want to get married because they didn’t want to share their finances and because they liked their independence.
Men who were surveyed were more likely to not want to get married because they didn’t want to get divorced and because they liked their current situation.
A similar percentage of men and women respondents said they weren’t interested in marriage.
Almost 60% of respondents aged 25 to 29 said they didn’t want to get married because it was too expensive.
If you get married, what type of wedding would you want and if you are married, which of the following best describes the type of wedding you had?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
Almost a quarter of those surveyed said they preferred a traditional wedding. This was closely followed by a DIY backyard wedding.
Those surveyed in Western Australia were most likely to say they had or would want a DIY wedding, while those in New South Wales who were surveyed were most likely to want a religious wedding.
A traditional wedding was the most popular choice for respondents aged between 18 and 44. Meanwhile, DIY and elopement weddings were the most popular for those surveyed aged 45 to 49.
Female respondents were more likely to want a traditional wedding or an elopement. While men surveyed were more likely to want to have a religious wedding or a courthouse wedding.
How much would you expect to spend on a wedding or how much did you spend on your wedding?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
More than a third of Australians surveyed said they would spend or did spend up to $5,000 on their wedding. This was followed by just less than a third who said they spent or would spend between $5,000 to $15,000.
Those surveyed in Victoria and Queensland were the most likely to say they would or did spend between $50,000 and $75,000 on their wedding.
Meanwhile, around one in five respondents aged between 18 and 29 said they would or did spend between $30,000 and $50,000 on their wedding.
Do you want to have kids?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
More than half of those surveyed said they already had kids. Of those who didn’t have kids, almost one in five said they wanted to have children at some point, while the same percentage said they didn’t want any.
Those surveyed in New South Wales were the most likely to want kids, while those surveyed in South Australia were the least likely to want kids.
More than half of those aged 18 to 24 who were surveyed said they wanted children.
Men were slightly more likely than women surveyed to say they were unsure about wanting children.
Why do you want kids or why did you have kids?*
Rank |
Reason |
Percentage of respondents |
|---|---|---|
1st |
To make my life more meaningful |
49.4% |
2nd |
Because I've always wanted to be a parent |
44.9% |
3rd |
Because I value family traditions |
33.8% |
4th |
To take part in raising the next generation |
33.6% |
5th |
I like having children around |
32.0% |
6th |
To pass on a legacy/assets |
19.1% |
7th |
Partner influence |
11.7% |
8th |
To have someone to care for me in old age |
11.2% |
9th |
Family influence |
10.6% |
10th |
Unplanned |
7.7% |
11th |
To feel connected to my culture |
7.1% |
12th |
Social influence |
4.7% |
13th |
Unsure |
4.3% |
14th |
Other |
2.7% |
18-24 |
25-29 |
30-34 |
35-39 |
40-44 |
45-49 |
50-54 |
55-59 |
60-64 |
65-69 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Always wanted to be a parent |
38.0% |
46.9% |
44.7% |
47.5% |
36.4% |
47.6% |
40.3% |
46.3% |
53.6% |
40.7% |
Make life more meaningful |
54.4% |
56.8% |
58.8% |
51.3% |
45.5% |
52.4% |
46.8% |
38.9% |
44.6% |
44.1% |
Connect to my culture |
7.6% |
11.1% |
7.1% |
6.3% |
10.6% |
11.1% |
3.2% |
5.6% |
0.0% |
10.2% |
Value family traditions |
21.5% |
39.5% |
23.5% |
36.3% |
21.2% |
30.2% |
32.3% |
27.8% |
37.5% |
39.0% |
Raise the next generation |
36.7% |
37.0% |
28.2% |
30.0% |
42.4% |
28.6% |
30.7% |
22.2% |
35.7% |
39.0% |
Someone to care for me in old age |
16.5% |
12.4% |
12.9% |
12.5% |
7.6% |
15.9% |
8.1% |
7.4% |
5.4% |
10.2% |
Pass on a legacy/assets |
22.8% |
13.6% |
11.8% |
17.5% |
25.8% |
22.2% |
22.6% |
13.0% |
23.2% |
18.6% |
I like having children around |
20.3% |
32.1% |
29.4% |
38.8% |
33.3% |
33.3% |
37.1% |
37.0% |
32.1% |
32.2% |
Partner influence |
8.9% |
7.4% |
17.7% |
12.5% |
12.1% |
11.1% |
8.1% |
9.3% |
10.7% |
6.8% |
Family influence |
13.9% |
11.1% |
16.5% |
7.5% |
19.7% |
11.1% |
4.8% |
9.3% |
7.1% |
6.8% |
Social influence |
10.1% |
9.9% |
7.1% |
1.3% |
4.6% |
6.4% |
1.6% |
3.7% |
0.0% |
1.7% |
Unplanned |
7.6% |
7.4% |
10.6% |
10.0% |
7.6% |
6.4% |
9.7% |
11.1% |
1.8% |
8.5% |
Other |
1.3% |
2.5% |
3.5% |
1.3% |
1.5% |
3.2% |
1.6% |
1.9% |
5.4% |
8.5% |
Unsure |
6.3% |
2.5% |
2.4% |
5.0% |
7.6% |
3.2% |
3.2% |
7.4% |
3.6% |
3.4% |
*Respondents were able to select more than one response, values may not add up to 100%.
Half of the respondents who said they wanted kids said it was because having children made life more meaningful for them.
This was the most common reason why most respondents said they wanted or had kids, followed by 44.9% who said they always wanted to be a parent.
For those surveyed aged 25 to 29 who said they wanted to have kids, almost 40% said it was because they value family traditions.
Women surveyed were more likely than men surveyed to say they always wanted to be a parent and that having children would make life more meaningful.
Meanwhile, men surveyed were more likely than women surveyed to say they want to have kids to take part in raising the next generation and to pass on their legacy and assets.
Partner influence was also more common for men than women with 16% of men saying this was why they had or wanted kids compared to 7.8% of women.
Why don't you want kids?*
Rank |
Reason |
Percentage of respondents |
|---|---|---|
1st |
I am not interested |
33.9% |
2nd |
Financial considerations |
26.8% |
3rd |
It's too much pressure |
24.6% |
4th |
I am not ready right now |
19.3% |
5th |
Environmental concerns (e.g. climate change) |
16.8% |
6th |
I don't like to be around kids |
16.8% |
7th |
Other |
11.4% |
8th |
Unsure |
9.3% |
9th |
To focus on career opportunities |
8.2% |
10th |
I'm unable to have kids |
8.2% |
11th |
I prefer to create a chosen family |
6.4% |
12th |
Partner influence |
4.3% |
13th |
Family influence |
3.6% |
14th |
Social influence |
2.5% |
18-24 |
25-29 |
30-34 |
35-39 |
40-44 |
45-49 |
50-54 |
55-59 |
60-64 |
65-69 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
I am not interested |
5.6% |
24.0% |
35.0% |
20.8% |
42.9% |
46.2% |
44.0% |
36.4% |
44.4% |
40.0% |
I am not ready right now |
38.9% |
48.0% |
30.0% |
20.8% |
25.0% |
7.7% |
0.0% |
4.6% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
It's too much pressure |
33.3% |
44.0% |
32.5% |
33.3% |
28.6% |
26.9% |
16.0% |
4.6% |
5.6% |
6.7% |
Financial considerations |
19.4% |
44.0% |
42.5% |
50.0% |
32.1% |
19.2% |
20.0% |
4.6% |
22.2% |
20.0% |
Environmental concerns (e.g. climate change) |
11.1% |
12.0% |
32.5% |
29.2% |
28.6% |
11.5% |
12.0% |
9.1% |
5.6% |
0.0% |
To focus on career opportunities |
13.9% |
20.0% |
12.5% |
16.7% |
3.6% |
7.7% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
5.6% |
0.0% |
I prefer to create a chosen family |
5.6% |
8.0% |
10.0% |
16.7% |
14.3% |
0.0% |
4.0% |
0.0% |
5.6% |
0.0% |
Partner influence |
0.0% |
8.0% |
7.5% |
4.2% |
3.6% |
7.7% |
4.0% |
4.6% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
Family influence |
0.0% |
8.0% |
12.5% |
12.5% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
Social influence |
5.6% |
8.0% |
5.0% |
4.2% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
I'm unable to have kids |
8.3% |
8.0% |
2.5% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
11.5% |
8.0% |
9.1% |
27.8% |
20.0% |
I don't like to be around kids |
11.1% |
16.0% |
25.0% |
25.0% |
14.3% |
23.1% |
16.0% |
18.2% |
11.1% |
6.7% |
Other |
0.0% |
4.0% |
5.0% |
0.0% |
10.7% |
7.7% |
12.0% |
31.8% |
16.7% |
26.7% |
Unsure |
13.9% |
4.0% |
10.0% |
8.3% |
10.7% |
11.5% |
16.0% |
9.1% |
5.6% |
0.0% |
*Respondents were able to select more than one response, values may not add up to 100%.
Of those who said they didn’t want to have children, a third said it was because they weren’t interested. Meanwhile, a quarter of respondents said they didn’t want to have kids for financial reasons.
In South Australia, 26.9% of respondents who said they didn’t want children said it was because of environmental concerns. While 13.3% of those surveyed in Victoria said it was because they wanted to focus on their career.
More than one in five female respondents who said they didn’t want kids said it was because they weren’t ready yet, while more than a quarter said it was too much pressure.
Meanwhile, women who were surveyed were more likely than men surveyed to say they didn’t want kids because of the impact on the environment, with 20.4% of women choosing this option compared to 13% of men.
If you want kids, how many would you like to have or if you have kids, how many do you have?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
Almost half of those surveyed said they wanted two kids. This was followed by more than one in five who said they wanted three kids.
Those surveyed in New South Wales were the most likely to want a bigger family with 16.1% saying they wanted four or more children. Meanwhile, 21.7% of those surveyed in South Australia said they wanted just one child.
Older respondents were more likely to want bigger families compared to younger respondents. More than 16% of those aged 55 to 64 said they would want more than four kids compared to just 2.9% of those aged 25 to 29 and 3.1% of those aged 30 to 34.
Key Takeaways
Marriage is a Celebration of Love
The most common reason those surveyed wanted to get married was because it was a celebration of love. This was closely followed by it being a sign of commitment.
Almost half of Australians surveyed were married, while just less than a quarter said they wanted to be married one day.
Younger Respondents Want Kids
Majority of those aged 18 to 24 said they wanted children. However, older respondents were more likely to want bigger families than younger respondents.
More than half of those surveyed said they wanted kids because it would make life more meaningful for them.
Women More Likely to Consider Finances
Women who were surveyed were more likely to get married because of financial reasons than men surveyed. While men were more likely to get married because of partner influences.
Meanwhile, women were more likely to not get married because they didn’t want to share their finances and because they liked their independence.
