Marriage numbers in Australia are lower than ever before but couples who are choosing to marry are likely to stay together for longer, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Institute of Family Studies.

Less than half (49%) of adults are now married, a record low and down from 60% in 1991. Around 16% all Australian couples are living in de facto relationships.

One of the key influences on the lower marriage rate is an increasing shift towards tying the knot later in life.

In the 1960s, both men and women typically married in their twenties. These days many couples are delaying tying the knot until both are into their thirties.

The average for marriage now is 31.8 years for Australian men and just under 30 for women.

Following the developing trend in most western nations, it is now commonplace for Australian couples to live together before entering into marriage.

Just over 8o% of all the couples who married in 2015 had lived together before walking down the aisle.

The national divorce rate now stands at one in three, while the length of the average marriage has increased to 12 years.

Couples who were not legally married but lived in a de facto arrangement, do not require a Divorce Order.

From 1 March 2009, couples who did not marry but had an eligible de facto relationship, can apply to the Family Court or the Federal Circuit Court to have financial matters determined in the same way as married couples, when dissolving their relationship.

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