Malaysian marriages rise after pandemic in 2021 as divorces drop

(Nov 29): Marriages in Malaysia rebounded in 2021 as divorces fell further, indicating that Malaysian couples may be more hesitant about separating after the coronavirus pandemic.

A total of 214,943 marriages were registered last year, a 15% increase compared to 186,297 in 2020 when marriage plans were disrupted by the pandemic, according to the Malaysian Department of Statistics. The total number of divorces fell 7.1% to 43,934.

Non-Muslim marriages declined 4.7%, with the number of inter-ethnic marriages increasing 11.7%, making up almost 8% of total marriages. Muslim divorces dropped 16.4%.

Malaysia joined Australia and Singapore in the increasing trend of marriage rate last year, as brides increased to 47.4 per thousand from 44.6, with grooms rising to 45.8 per thousand.