The figure is also the highest in seven years, up from 239,200 in 2019, recovering to pre-pandemic levels after dipping to around 200,000.
Of the total 240,000 couples, some 82.6 percent were first-time marriages for both spouses, while 9 percent were remarriages for both.
Among men, 87.5 percent were first-time grooms and 12.3 percent were remarrying, while among women, 85.9 percent were marrying for the first time and 13.6 percent were remarrying.
The average age at first marriage was 33.9 for men and 31.6 for women, up 1.3 years and 1.7 years respectively, compared to a decade ago. Among first-marriage couples, cases in which the wife was older accounted for 20.2 percent, up 0.3 percentage points.
Marriages involving a foreign spouse totaled 21,000, down 0.3 percent. Marriages with foreign women accounted for 16,000, while those with foreign men stood at 5,000. Among foreign wives, those from Japan and Laos increased, while marriages with women from Viet Nam and Thailand declined. Among foreign husbands, those from Japan and Canada rose, while marriages with men from China and the U.S. fell.
With marriages rising across all regions except North Jeolla Province, Gyeonggi Province saw the highest number of marriages, followed by Seoul and Incheon.
Marriages were most common in December, followed by May and July, while June and September saw the fewest.
Meanwhile, divorces totaled 88,000, down by about 3,000 from 2024. Divorces were most common among couples married for 30 years or more, followed by those married for five to nine years and for four years or less. By age, divorce rates were highest among men in their late 40s and women in their early 40s.
The ministry attributed the rise to a sharp increase in marriages among people in their early 30s. "The number of marriages have risen significantly, driven largely by those in their late 20s to early 40s, with the biggest surge among people in their early 30s," said Park Hyun-jung, a ministry official.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.