The number of weddings in Malta and Gozo declined to 2,239 last year from 2,527 in 2010, with marriages at the altar showing the steepest decline.

Figures issued in reply to a parliamentary question show that there were 1,274 civil weddings and 965 weddings at the altar in 2023 compared to 787 civil and 1,740 religious weddings in 2010.

A total of 34,000 marriages were registered between 2010 and 2023. 

The details were provided by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri who was asked by PN MP Graziella Attard Previ for a breakdown of the number of marriages, both church and civil, from 2010 to 2023.

The data comes a few months after a parliamentary question revealed that over 4,400 marriages ended in divorce in the past 13 years.

Silencing of wedding bells? 

According to the data, civil weddings became more popular than religious weddings in 2016. In that year there were 1,524 weddings at the registrar's office compared to 1,397 in church.

In the previous year, there were 1,516 church weddings and 1,353 civil.

The preference for civil marriages then continued to shoot up, particularly in the case of Malta, with the number of civil marriages continuing to outnumber that of church weddings.

COVID-19 biggest nightmare for weddings

One particular blow for weddings, across the globe, was the coronavirus pandemic.  

In 2020, just 361 couples had a church wedding in Malta.  743 civil weddings were registered. 

As restrictions eased the following year, there was a reprieve for church weddings, which totalled 1,156  compared to 1,030 civil weddings.

But civil weddings returned to the fore in 2022 at 1,285 compared to 1,150.

Traditional church weddings still more popular in Gozo

In contrast to Malta, traditional church weddings are still more popular than civil weddings in Gozo.   

Whereas there were 1,194 civil weddings and 834 church weddings in Malta last year, in Gozo, there were 131 church weddings and just 80 civil.