The table shows information on marriage trends in Australia from 1960 to 2000, including the number of religious and civil marriages, as well as the average ages of brides and grooms.
Overall, the data reveals a significant increase in civil marriages over the decades, while religious marriages showed fluctuations. Additionally, the average age of both brides and grooms rose steadily over time.
In 1960, religious marriages were far more common, with 25,000 ceremonies compared to only 8,000 civil marriages. By 1980, religious marriages had surged to 50,000, while civil marriages grew to 16,000. However, in the following years, religious ceremonies declined, dropping to 32,000 in 1990, whereas civil marriages continued rising, reaching 23,000. By 2000, the trend had reversed, with civil marriages (40,000) surpassing religious ones (34,000).
Regarding age, brides and grooms got married at increasingly older ages. In 1960, the average age of brides was 21, while grooms were 24. This gradually increased to 30 for brides and 32 for grooms by 2000, reflecting societal changes such as delayed marriages.