The number and rate of marriages in Slovenia, as in the wider region, are in decline. Marriage has shifted from a near-universal early-life milestone to a selective mid-life choice.
Marriage Trends
According to data from Republic of Slovenia Statistical office covering period from 1988 to 2024, the highest number of marriages was recorded in 1989, with 9,776 marriages. By 2024, this figure had fallen to 6,353, a 35% decline from the peak. The COVID year 2020 recorded the lowest number of marriages at 5,214. A temporary rebound followed in 2022, but the downward trend resumed in 2023 and 2024.
Age Groups
Brides outnumber grooms in age groups up to 29 years, while grooms are more prevalent from age 30 onwards. For example in 2024, there were twice as many brides (666) as grooms (336) in the 20 to 24 age group. This pattern reverses in the 30s and later where grooms outnumber brides.
There has been a pronounced shift towards later marriage. In the 1990s, only 10.1% of brides and 16.2% of grooms were aged 35 or older. In the 2020s, these shares nearly quadrupled for brides to 38.3% and almost tripled for grooms to 47.3%.
Teenage marriages have become rare. In 1988, nearly 1,500 brides aged 19 or younger were married. By 2024, this number had fallen by 96% to just 59.
Overall, Slovenians are marrying less frequently and at older ages. Even so, one can hope that the ceremony and celebration are still enjoyed at least as much as in earlier decades, although no data exists to confirm this.
