Marriages hit 20-year low in Turkey under virus shadow

By Zeynep Canli and Erhan Cihan Unal

ANKARA (AA) - Marriages reached the lowest level in 20-years in Turkey last year, under the shadow of coronavirus restrictions on large gatherings such as wedding and engagement ceremonies.

The number of couples who got married fell below 500,000 for the first time since 2001, according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency from the Turkish Statistical Authority.

Hitting its peak at 641,973 in 2008, the figure slipped 10.1% year-on-year to 487,270 in 2020.

The crude marriage rate – the number of marriages per thousand population – was 0.584% last year, the lowest since 2001.

Some 135,022 couples got divorced in 2020, down 13.8% from the previous year.

Following the announcement of the first coronavirus case in Turkey on March 11, preventive measures were implemented as part of the fight against COVID-19. With the increasing number of cases and fatalities, Turkey took new measures.

The duration of a wedding ceremony in Turkey has been limited to an hour, with a ban on dancing and food serving.

A total of 30 people, including relatives, are allowed to attend funerals and wedding ceremonies.