NEW JERSEY HEALTH STATISTICS, 2003

MARRIAGES AND DIVORCES

The number of marriages in New Jersey in 2003 declined 2.4 percent from 2002, while the number of divorces decreased 6.1 percent (Table MD1 and Figure MD1). 

The median ages of all brides and grooms, including first-time brides and grooms, were the same as in 2002 (Table MD2 and Figure MD2).  The percentage of first-time brides and grooms who were under 20 years of age decreased slightly from 2002.  After declining considerably starting in the 1980s, this percentage has remained fairly stable from the mid-1990s to the present.  The percentage of first-time brides and grooms under age 25 also decreased substantially through the 1980s and has continued to decrease, though at a slower rate (Table MD3 and Figure MD3). 

In 63.5 percent of marriages, the bride was younger than the groom.  In about one-quarter of marriages, the bride was older than the groom.  Age differences were more likely and, on average, were larger in marriages where one or both participants had been married before.  In 74.0 percent of first marriages, the bride and groom were within five years of each other in age.  This was true in fewer than half (46.9%) of marriages in which the bride or groom or both had been previously married (Table MD5).

The percentages of brides and grooms who were previously divorced were 8.1 and 9.8 percent higher, respectively, than ten years earlier (Table MD6). 

August was the most popular month for marriages in 2003, followed by September, October, and June.  More than 11 percent of marriages occurred in August while only 4.5 percent occurred in January, the least popular month (Table MD8).

	View/download all marriage and divorce tables:  Excel     PDF
	Return to New Jersey Health Statistics, 2003 Index
	Go to NJSHAD interactive query system to create your own tables and maps of marriages by selected characteristics for 1990-2003.
	Go to 2002 Marriage and Divorce Report
	Go to Vital Statistics for copies of marriage certificates
	Go to Administrative Office of the Courts for additional divorce information

The tables and graphs listed on this page are stored in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. PDF formatted documents look just like the original printed documents. To view them you must have a PDF viewer which is available free from Adobe. Click here to learn more about Adobe Acrobat or to download the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat viewer from the Adobe Web site.