Is marriage becoming less popular? We say the sacramental "I do" less and less often.

Analyzing the past few years and comparing regional data published by the Central Statistical Office, a clear decline in interest in marriage among Podkarpacie residents is evident. In 2019, 10,123 marriages were concluded, in 2020 – 7,912. In 2021, there was a slight increase, with 9,250 marriages concluded in our voivodeship. In 2022, fewer, at 8,243. In 2023, when 7,579 new marriages were recorded, there was another decline, reaching only 6,754 in 2024.

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As residents of Podkarpacie, we are not alone in this trend, because over the years 2019–2024, declines in the number of marriages were observed in all voivodeships.

As reported above, nearly 6,800 marriages took place in Podkarpacie in 2024, including 4,300 religious marriages. The majority of newlyweds were aged 25-29. The age difference between spouses was usually 1-2 years (1,878 men were older than women on their wedding day, while 722 women were significantly older than men). 899 spouses of the same age were married.

The majority of women entering marriage had higher education (51.2%), while men had secondary education (44.8%). Rural residents were more likely to say "I do." In rural areas, 4,100 marriages were concluded, while in urban areas, 2,700. Single people were most likely to marry: 6,000 bachelors and 5,800 spinsters. However, among new spouses last year, there were also 696 divorced men and 86 widowers, as well as 761 divorced women and 148 widows.

Statistical data also shows that 3.3 marriages were concluded per thousand inhabitants in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship (which, together with the Lublin and Podlaskie Voivodeships, places us 11th in Poland). The highest number of marriages per thousand inhabitants was in the Małopolskie Voivodeship – 4.0, and the lowest in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship – 3.1.

Traditional pattern or informal partnership arrangement?

The figures from the four largest cities of the former Przemyśl Voivodeship are also not encouraging. In Przemyśl alone, 226 marriages were recorded in 2019, and in 2024, the number rose to 157. In Jarosław, out of 159 marriages...