According to figures released by the Central Bureau for Statistics today, the number of jubilee celebrations among younger couples is decreasing, because more divorces are taking place.
Basically, the story is that younger couples are separating more often than previous generations. This means that the number of copper and silver anniversaries being reached is decreasing. The number of separations has steadily increased since the 70s. In 1971, only 12 percent of marriages ended in divorce. Just a decade later, that percentage had doubled.
2 out of 5 marriages end in separation
At the moment, about two out of five marriages end in separation: which, of course, explains why fewer and fewer copper and silver anniversaries are being celebrated. On the plus side, this figure has remained more or less the same one the past two decades. If you’re curious about what marriage is like in the Netherlands, apart from the propensity to divorce, then check out our article on wedding traditions in the Netherlands.
More gold and diamond anniversaries celebrated
On the other hand, the number of gold and diamond anniversaries is increasing. This is down to a combination of longer life expectancies (people are living long enough to reach fifty and sixty years of marriage) and generational differences (as we’ve already noted, divorce was far less common in the past than it is now in Dutch society).
Fewer and fewer marriages taking place in the Netherlands
Finally, the number of marriages taking place in the Netherlands has almost halved over the past fifty years. In 1968, about 123,000 marriages were taking place each year. In 2018, that was 65,000.
Have you ever been to a golden jubilee celebration? Let us know in the comments below.
Feature image: sabinevanerp/Pixabay
