Majority of Maltese nationals still opting for church marriage, Curia insists

Most of the marriages involving Maltese nationals were church marriages, according to statistics published by the archbishop’s curia.

The curia was reacting to marriage statistics tabled in parliament last week, which showed that the number of civil marriages in Malta exceeded church marriages. According to the statistics, there were 1,423 civil marriages in Malta compared to 1,192 church marriages.

Of the 1,192 church marriages in 2018, the curia said that 62 were convalidated marriages, meaning that a couple who had only married civilly would have subsequently chosen to get married in a church.

Subtracting the 73 foreign nationals who chose to get married in a church, the curia said there had been 1,119 marriages involving Maltese nationals.

Turning to civil marriages, the curia said there were 1,423, including “marriages between a man and a woman, same sex marriages, second marriages and marriages between foreign nationals”.

“The total number of civil marriages between foreign nationals stands at 850. If the number of marriages between foreign nationals is deducted, the number of civil marriages between Maltese nationals and between couples with on Maltese party, stands at 573.”

The curia said that according to the statistics for 2018 the total number of marriages in Malta between Maltese couples, and Maltese nationals with foreign nationals, 66% chose a church marriage while 34% married civilly.