Marriage rates in Canada
Canada: Marriage rates was 2.6 per 1,000 people in 2020. ▼ Falling
Marriage rates in Canada, 1960–2020
Source: OECD (2025) and other sources – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for marriage rates in Canada is 2.6 per 1,000 people, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 61 years on record.
That represents a change of down 33.3% on the previous year and down 39.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, marriage rates in Canada peaked at 9.2 per 1,000 people in 1972 and was at its lowest, 2.6 per 1,000 people, in 2020.
That places Canada 42nd out of 44 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.57 per 1,000 people | 6.9 per 1,000 people | 8.7 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.56 per 1,000 people | 7.8 per 1,000 people | 9.2 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.22 per 1,000 people | 6.7 per 1,000 people | 7.8 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.59 per 1,000 people | 5.1 per 1,000 people | 6.8 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.63 per 1,000 people | 4.4 per 1,000 people | 5.1 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.14 per 1,000 people | 3.9 per 1,000 people | 4.3 per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.6 per 1,000 people | 2.6 per 1,000 people | 2.6 per 1,000 people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More reference data data for Canada
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.7 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies -4.58 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 2.12 °C (2026)
- Consumer price index 140.97 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2.47 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -2.57 °C (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Free country 2 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is marriage rates in Canada?
- Marriage rates in Canada was 2.6 per 1,000 people in 2020, according to OECD (2025) and other sources – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest marriage rates recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 9.2 per 1,000 people in 1972.
- What is the lowest marriage rates recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6 per 1,000 people in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for marriage rates?
- Canada ranks 42nd out of 44 countries with data for 2020.
- Is marriage rates rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025) and other sources – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Marriage rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of marriages during a given year per 1,000 people.