Filipinos couples exchange vows during Pag-IBIG Fund’s “I Do I Do Araw ng Pag-IBIG” mass wedding in Davao City on February 1, 2020. (PNA/Digna Banzon)
On July 7, the Philippines’ Commission on Population and Development (CPD) announced that the number of registered marriages in the country has continued to fall over the past decade, suggesting that more Filipinos are changing how they build families. Instead of marrying early, many couples are choosing to delay marriage or live together without formalising their relationship.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that registered marriages fell by 13.5%, from 429,723 in 2014 to 371,825 in 2024. While the number briefly recovered in 2022 as couples held weddings postponed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the decline returned in the following two years. The CPD said this suggests that the pandemic was only a temporary interruption to a long-term trend.
CPD Undersecretary Lisa Grace Bersales said Filipino families are evolving as people respond to today’s economic realities. More young adults are choosing to complete their education, establish stable careers and improve their financial situation before getting married. As a result, government policies should recognise these changing family patterns and ensure that all families, regardless of their structure, have access to social protection and public services.
The figures also show that Filipinos are marrying later than before. In 2024, the median age at marriage increased to 30 for men and 28 for women, compared with 28 and 26 in 2015. This change reflects longer years spent in education, greater participation in the workforce and the growing cost of starting a family.
The decline in marriage has also been accompanied by a steady rise in cohabitation. The CPD reported that 12.66 million Filipinos were living in common-law (de facto) relationships in 2020, while the share of women aged 15 to 49 living with a partner rose from 18.8% in 2022 to 20.5% in 2025. The commission said many couples see living together as a more affordable option because weddings and married life can be expensive, especially during a period of rising living costs.
Despite these changes, the CPD stressed that child marriage remains a serious concern. Although fewer adolescents are marrying than in previous years, they stressed stronger enforcement of child protection laws is still needed to protect young people’s education, health and future opportunities.
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