The Commonwealth Marriage Act 1961 was amended on 9 December 2017 to allow two people to marry regardless of their sex or gender.
BDM has received many requests for marriage statistics since the law changed. In response to this community interest, and to mark the first year of same sex marriage in Australia, we are publishing additional statistics about marriages registered in Victoria.
Marriages registered in Victoria
9 December 2017 – 5 December 2018 (inclusive)
| Sex or gender of the parties | Number of marriages |
|---|---|
| Marriages of a male and a female | 29,326 |
| Marriages of same sex couples | 1,552 |
| Total | 30,878 |
Same sex marriages registered in Victoria
9 December 2017 – 5 December 2018 (inclusive)
| Sex or gender of the parties | Number of marriages |
|---|---|
| Marriages of two females | 854 |
| Marriages of two males | 683 |
| Marriages in which one party identified as unspecified, indeterminate or intersex | 15 |
| Total | 1,552 |
These statistics show the number of marriages registered, rather than the number of marriages conducted. Celebrants may submit the paperwork to register a marriage up to 14 days after conducting a ceremony.