FILE PHOTO: Couples queue for a free mass wedding in Manila on February 14, 2014. In 2024, provisional data shows a much steeper decline, with only 320,524 weddings recorded for the entire year based on data available as of April 30, 2025 — a 22.6 per cent drop compared to the previous year. - AFP
MANILA: More Filipino couples are skipping the altar — and it’s not just a passing trend.
Key trends from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) civil registration and vital statistics data featured in a recent report by the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) point to a quiet but sweeping transformation in how Filipinos define commitment, family and stability.
In 2022, the country saw a sharp post-pandemic rebound in weddings: 449,428 couples married, up 25.9 per cent from 356,839 in 2021. But the surge didn’t last.
The following year, marriages dropped by 7.8 per cent to 414,213. For 2024, provisional data shows a much steeper decline, with only 320,524 weddings recorded for the entire year based on data available as of April 30, 2025 — a 22.6 per cent drop compared to the previous year.
The numbers showed the trend is not isolated. It reflects deep social changes: more couples are living together without marrying, more children are being born outside of wedlock and more young Filipinos say marriage can wait — or may not happen at all.
“The decline in marriages reflects changing realities as families of today come in many forms,” said CPD Executive Director Undersecretary Lisa Grace S. Bersales.
“While we uphold marriage as a sacred institution, we must also protect couples who choose alternative arrangements and ensure the welfare of every individual, ensuring no family is left behind in our nation’s development,” Bersales added.
The decline in formal marriages is mirrored by the growing prevalence of live-in arrangements.
According to the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), the proportion of women aged 15 to 49 who were cohabiting or living with their partners as if married quadrupled over three decades, from just five per cent in 1993 to 19 per cent in 2022.
Among the youth, the shift is even more striking. The 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS) found that 12 per cent of Filipinos aged 15–24 — roughly 2.4 million young people — were already living with a partner outside of marriage
A prior report by the CPD provides deeper insight into this shift. Citing the study “Unearthing Perspectives in Nuptiality and Cohabitation: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Narratives of Women Aged 20–29 in Selected Urban and Rural Areas in the Philippines,” the agency observed that while many Filipinos, especially young women, still aspire to marry someday, cohabitation often emerges as the more practical choice.
Economic realities contribute heavily to this trend, particularly among young and low-income Filipinos. As demographer Dr. Jeofrey Abalos observed, cohabitation is often viewed as a “poor man’s marriage” — a way to build a family without the financial and social costs tied to formal unions.
Meanwhile, factors such as the high cost of weddings, lack of familial support, or the absence of legal options — particularly for marginalised groups — frequently lead couples to delay or forego marriage altogether.
The CPD also noted that, beyond economic and structural concerns, more personal and social factors increasingly shape the choice to cohabit. These include romantic motivations, such as the desire to test compatibility before committing; premarital pregnancy, which often hastens union without formal marriage; and childhood or past trauma, which can make individuals wary of formal marital structures.
The report further cited logistical barriers, like living far from parents or religious institutions; influences from social media, which normalise non-traditional relationships; and contradictions in religious teachings, where spiritual beliefs sometimes clash with lived realities.
“These emerging patterns in nuptiality and cohabitation require intervention through creation and adoption of programs and policies that can strengthen the families regardless of the marital status of couples,” the CPD said.
“A holistic approach and policies… would respond to social shifts that may enable an environment and communities where families may thrive,” they added.
Contrary to popular belief that June is the Philippines’ favorite wedding month, February has consistently recorded the highest number of marriages in recent years.
PSA’s data showed that in 2023, the country registered 52,501 marriages in February, accounting for 12.7 per cent of the annual total. June, long considered the traditional wedding season, came in third with 43,295 weddings, just behind December, which posted 43,966.
The trend continued into 2024. According to a separate provisional PSA data, February again topped the list with 45,199 marriages, followed by June (43,922) and April (32,609). The least number of weddings occurred in November, with just 13,463 — a consistent pattern across both years.
In terms of regional distribution, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) consistently led as the top wedding hotspot, recording 60,541 marriages in 2023, or 14.6 per cent of the national total. This was followed by the National Capital Region (51,892) and Central Luzon (47,684).
On the other end of the spectrum, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) recorded the lowest number of weddings at 2,162.
The nature of wedding ceremonies has shifted, too.
Civil ceremonies accounted for 42.9 per cent of all marriages (177,627) in 2023, slightly down from 43.3 per cent in 2022.
Roman Catholic weddings made up 31.4 per cent (130,170), and other religious rites comprised 23.5 per cent (97,538). Muslim and tribal ceremonies made up 1.5 per cent and 0.7 per cent, respectively.
Though official data and reports did not elaborate on the reasons behind this preference, civil weddings are generally more affordable and accessible, making them a practical option for couples navigating financial constraints, lack of family approval, or interfaith considerations.
While the number of formal marriages in the Philippines is declining overall, a persistent pattern remains — young girls are still disproportionately entering marriage compared to their male peers.
In 2023, 12,630 adolescent females under age 20 were married, based on PSA figures. That number is four times higher than adolescent males who got married (3,058). Over half of these girls (54 per cent) married men aged 20 to 24, and 22.5 per cent married men aged 25 to 29.
Despite this, there are signs that attitudes among the younger generation are shifting. According to a survey by data science and analytics firm Arkipelago Analytics, most Gen Z Filipinos (aged 13 to 28) who plan to marry prefer to do so after age 35.
Respondents pointed to career goals, emotional readiness, and financial independence as their top considerations for delaying marriage.
Although marriage continues to hold cultural importance in the Philippines, it is increasingly viewed, especially by younger generations, as a personal decision rather than an expected milestone in life.
“The findings indicate that Gen Z Filipinos are approaching marriage with greater intentionality,” said Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, founder of Arkipelago Analytics. “Rather than following traditional timelines, many are prioritising emotional readiness, personal goals, and long-term compatibility.”
More children in the Philippines were born to unwed parents than to legally married couples in 2023, according to PSA data.
A total of 842,728 births were recorded to parents not in formal union, surpassing the 605,794 births from couples who were legally married. This shift reflects a growing prevalence of non-traditional family arrangements, where formal marriage is no longer a prerequisite for family formation.
While the data does not specify the reasons behind this trend, it coincides with the broader rise in cohabitation across the country, especially among young adults and women of reproductive age.
Adding complexity to this evolving picture is the alarming rise in early adolescent pregnancies, as flagged by the CPD earlier this year.
Citing PSA data, the agency reported a 6.6 per cent increase in live births among very young adolescent girls under age 15, from 2,411 in 2019 to 3,343 in 2023. The agency emphasised that this trend represents a serious concern, especially given the extreme vulnerability of children in this age group.
The CPD also noted that repeat pregnancies remain a major issue. In 2023, 38 girls under 15 were reported to have had repeat pregnancies, while 17 young women below 20 had already given birth five times or more.
“We call for urgent action on this issue given that it affects the health and well-being of this segment of the population, who will be the future workforce of the country,” Bersales said in a statement.
“This will significantly impact on the gains from demographic dividend, a condition where the country gains traction for economic growth, since the population is mostly made up of working ages 15-64,” she added.
The agency underscored that the rising number of births among minors, particularly those aged 10 to 14, is in an “alarming state that needs a more responsive policy.”
The consequences of early childbearing, it warned, are far-reaching: disrupting girls’ education, exposing them to long-term health risks, and limiting their economic opportunities. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
