Marriage is becoming increasingly rare in the Czech Republic, with fewer weddings taking place in 2024 than even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 44,500 couples tied the knot last year — marking one of the lowest figures in the country’s modern history. The only year with fewer marriages was 2013.
Despite a growing population, the Czech Republic also recorded its lowest-ever birth rate in 2024. Meanwhile, divorces saw a slight uptick, according to fresh data from the Czech Statistical Office.
Exactly 44,486 couples got married last year, an eight percent drop from 2023. “In all five-year age groups from 25 to 50, there were fewer grooms and brides than the year before,” the bureau reports.
This drop places 2024 as the second-worst year for marriage numbers since Czechia became independent. Even during 2020 — a year marked by strict COVID restrictions that caused many to delay weddings — there were more marriages, totaling 45,500.
One factor behind the trend, according to Michaela Nemečková from the Department of Demographic Statistics, is demographic: fewer people are now entering their thirties, a common age for marriage. But she also noted a broader shift in attitudes. “People are simply less willing to get married nowadays,” she said.
Nemečková emphasized that while the data is still preliminary, major changes are unlikely: “The final figure is not expected to be significantly higher.”
At the same time, divorces are on the rise. In 2024, around 20,800 marriages ended — a seven percent increase from the year before. Most breakups occurred between the fourth and seventh year of marriage. “Fifty-eight percent of divorced couples had children under the age of 18. In total, 19,300 children were affected by divorce,” the Czech Statistical Office reported.
