LOVE may be in the air this Valentine’s Day – but fewer Islanders are choosing to make it official.
There was an 8% drop in in marriages last year, according to the Superintendent Registrar’s Annual Statement for 2025 – continuing what officials describe as a “continued decline in the popularity of marriage in Jersey”.
A total of 349 couples tied the knot in 2025 – 32 fewer than the year before.
For an Island that once saw annual marriage figures regularly in the 700s and 800s in the 1990s, the latest number underlines a stark shift.
Civil ceremonies now overwhelmingly dominate the wedding landscape. Of last year’s marriages, 291 were civil ceremonies, meaning 84% of couples opted for a non-religious service. Just 16% were religious ceremonies.
In fact, the most popular “venue” for love in 2025 was not a church or a fancy hotel, but the Office of the Superintendent Registrar itself – which hosted 37% of all marriages.
Church weddings continue to decline with 45 Church of England ceremonies last year – five fewer than the previous year – alongside seven Catholic weddings, and four in other denominations.
Overall, religious ceremonies fell by 12.5% compared to 2024.
The most popular months for marriage in Jersey were August and September.
There were 12 Jersey-resident couples who applied to the Superintendent Registrar to marry in jurisdictions outside the Island last year. The most popular destinations for marriage were Greece and Italy.
A total of 55 non-Jersey resident couples travelled to the Island to get married last year. This was 12 fewer couples than in 2024.
The largest proportion of non-residents who travelled to Jersey to marry came from England.
The most popular months for non-residents to marry in Jersey were May and August.
Superintendent Registrar Claire Follain acknowledged the broader social picture revealed in her report.
“The 2025 Annual Statement shows statistical patterns in relation to births and deaths consistent with the last four years, as well as the continued decline in the popularity of marriage in Jersey,” she said.
“These numbers provide us with not just a factual record, but an interesting insight into Islanders’ lives and their lifestyle choices, giving us an indication of how our community is changing and evolving as the years progress.”
