Special Release No.

: 566
Date Released: March 11, 2011

FOREIGN MARRIAGES OF FILIPINOS: 2007

Explanatory Notes:
This Special release presents data on foreign marriages that occurred in 2007 and were
registered in different Philippine Foreign Services Establishment (PFSEs) all over the world
from January 2007 to March 2008. Such marriages were solemnized abroad wherein either
one or both parties are Filipinos. The PFSEs forwarded such documents to the Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila, which in turn submitted the same to the Office of the Civil
Registrar General of the National Statistics Office. Included in this report are marriages that
were reported from January 2007 to March 2008. No adjustments for underregistration, were
made in this report.

Foreign marriages in 2007 decline by 0.8 percent

In 2007, a total of 8,300 couples, wherein at least one of the parties involved is a Filipino, were united
abroad. The figure represented a slight decrease of 0.8 percent compared to 8,365 couples reported in
2006.

June is the most preferred month for marriage

On the average around 23 marriages occurred outside of the country daily in 2007. However, during the
month of June, 28 marriage ceremonies were reported to have been held daily. Thus, it can be
considered as the peak month for foreign marriages.

On the other hand, December was the least preferred month for foreign marriages with only an average of
18 marriages daily.

Meanwhile, the daily indices and daily averages for foreign marriages during the months of February to
July were higher than the national figures.

Most foreign marriages are between Filipinos and Japanese

Among marriages solemnized abroad, 5,689 or 68.5 percent were interracial. Of this total, marriages
between Filipino brides and foreign grooms, comprised 5,537 or 66.7 percent while those between
Filipino grooms and foreign brides numbered 152 or 1.8 percent of the total marriages outside the
country. Marriage of both Filipinos totaled 2,611 (31.5%).

About four in every ten interracial marriages (2,916 or 35.1%) were between Filipino brides and Japanese
grooms. Similarly, out of the 152 registered interracial marriages of Filipino grooms, 81 or 53.3 percent
were contracted to Japanese brides.
Most foreign marriages are held in Japan

About four out of seven marriages (3,530 or 42.5%) were solemnized in Japan. Next on second and on
third rank were the United States of America (935 or 11.3%) and United Arab Emirates (878 or 10.6%).
Foreign marriages contracted in Northern Ireland and in Italy recorded 287 (3.5%) and 282 (3.4%),
respectively.
Marrying age of couples abroad was older than that in the Philippines

The median age of grooms and brides in foreign marriages were 36.4 and 29.8 years, respectively.
Compared to local marriages, the median age of grooms (29.7 years) and brides (24.7 years) were higher
by 6.7 and 5.1 years, respectively.

The modal age group for grooms for foreign (1,723) and local marriages (169,845) was the same at 25-29
years. In the case of the brides, the modal age group in foreign marriages was at age group 25-29 years
and 20-24 years in local marriages.

Teenage brides were four times more in both foreign (30 grooms and 133 brides) and local marriages
(15,312 grooms and 69,052 brides). On the contrary, there were more grooms than brides at ages 50 and
over in both foreign (1,569 grooms and only 181 brides) and for local marriages (16,599 grooms and
6,562 brides).

Nine out of ten brides and two out of three grooms are single before marriage

Majority of grooms and brides in 2007 settled down at the age of 25 to 29 years old (4,578 or 55.1%).
Most of the grooms (1,644 or 95.4%) and brides (2,739 or 95.9%) were single prior to marriage. However,
it was observed that the number of single grooms and brides started to lessen at the age of thirty.
Meanwhile, at ages 50 and above, there were more single grooms (353 or 4.3% of the total) than single
brides (103 or 1.2% of the total).

After divorce, more grooms (2,583 or 31.1%) than brides (594 or 7.2%) remarried. Most divorced groom
(451 or 17.5%) remarried on their early fortys while most divorced brides (170 or 28.6%) on their late
thirtys.

In the mean time, more brides (253 or 3.1%) than grooms (202 or 2.4%) remarried after being widowed.
Most widowed grooms were in ages 50 and above whereas widowed brides were mostly in their thirtys
and fortys. There were reportedly 19 already married grooms who decided to remarry again with another
partner.
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TABLES:
 Index of Vital Statistics

Source: Civil Registry Department

Vital Statistics Division
National Statistics Office
Manila, Philippines

Page last revised: March 11, 2011