Portugal records highest marriage count as couples age and civil ceremonies surge

Portugal reached a record 37,714 marriages in 2025, the highest total in the past 15 years, according to data from the national statistics office (INE). Couples are now on average ten years older than in 1990, and the share of civil ceremonies has risen to over 80% for the first time, overtaking traditional Catholic weddings, which now account for only 18.5% of all marriages.

Same‑sex unions also hit new levels, with 1,063 marriages between partners of the same gender, including 552 lesbian marriages that outnumbered gay marriages for the first time. The municipality of Lisbon recorded the most marriages (2,417), followed by Porto (1,101) and Sintra (1,051).