New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals a modest rise in marriages and a slight drop in divorces in 2024, figures that property professionals often watch closely as leading indicators of buying and selling activity.
According to the ABS report Marriages and Divorces, Australia 2024, there were 120,844 marriages registered last year, up 2.0% from 2023, but still 5.0% below the post-pandemic high of 2022.
Meanwhile, 47,216 divorces were granted nationally, down 3.0% from the previous year.
Real estate agents and analysts often consider both life events as strong signals for market movement.
A marriage can trigger a purchase of a first home or upsizing, while a divorce often results in property listings as couples separate assets or seek new accommodation.
Marriage market still rebounding
The marriage rate in 2024 held steady at 5.5 per 1,000 people aged 16 and over, unchanged from 2023 and close to the pre-pandemic rate of 5.6 in 2019.
The median age at marriage was 32.8 years for men and 31.2 years for women, suggesting that most newlyweds are in prime homebuying years.
The most popular wedding date was 24 February 2024, which saw 1,773 marriages, a peak that aligns with high autumn property search traffic seen across many real estate portals.
Divorce dip
While marriages edged up, divorces saw a dip, potentially delaying some listing activity tied to relationship breakdowns.
The crude divorce rate dropped to 2.1 divorces per 1,000 people, continuing a downward trend.
However, the median duration from marriage to divorce increased to 13.2 years, suggesting long-standing households may eventually hit the market when couples split.
The median age at divorce remained steady at 47.1 years for men and 44.1 years for women.
Among the states, Victoria saw the biggest year-on-year increase in marriages, up 7.5% to 32,050.
New South Wales followed with a 1.6% rise to 39,659 marriages, while Western Australia added 246 marriages (1.9%). By contrast, the Northern Territory, Tasmania, and South Australia recorded declines.
