Marriage is a declining tradition in SA: Stats SA reveals who’s not tying the knot

According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) marriage is a declining tradition among South Africans.

Stats SA recently released its report on South Africa’s evolving cultural landscape. The report focuses on religion, marriage, and the languages spoken in the country.

Stats SA said that over the past 26 years, attitudes toward equality, individual rights, and personal freedom have redefined how South Africans approach marriage, leading to a decline in formal unions.

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The report showed a drop in the number of legally married individuals, falling from 35.6% in 1996 to 23.8% in 2022.

The proportion of people who have never married climbed significantly, from 52.8% to 61.7% during the same period.

“These figures suggest a shift away from conventional marital structures,” says Stats SA.

In 2022, white people (54.8%) and Indians/Asians (48.5%) recorded the highest proportions of those who were married, while coloureds (30.2%) and black Africans (19.2%) recorded much lower marriage rates.

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“This disparity may reflect historical, cultural, and economic differences in how marriage is perceived and practised among the different racial groups.”

Marriage Bill

This comes as public hearings on the Marriage Bill continue across the country.

The public hearings are conducted in accordance with section 59 of the South African constitution, which mandates that parliament include the public in its law-making process.

Last month, KwaZulu-Natal residents appreciated efforts for greater recognition of Customary Marriages and cultural practices associated with them.

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Some residents, however, took issue with the Marriage Bill’s proposal to legislate the process of the first wife consenting to a second wife in a polygamous marriage.

Last year, Ekurhuleni residents urged the government to ensure the Marriage Bill includes provisions to protect the cohabitation of partners, popularly known as vat ‘n sit.

While residents acknowledged the value of marriage, they highlighted the reality that many people live together without being legally married.

Stats SA on languages

According to Stats SA, although the country’s linguistic landscape is shifting, IsiZulu has remained the most widely spoken language during this period.

In 1996, about 22.8% of the population aged one year and older spoke isiZulu in their households. By 2022, this figure had moved to 24.4%.

IsiXhosa and Afrikaans followed as the second and third most spoken languages in 2022, with 16.3% and 10.6%, respectively.

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More than 1.2 million South Africans spoke non-official languages in 2022, with Shona leading the pack at 721 124 speakers.

Other widely spoken non-official languages included Chichewa/Chewa/Chinyanja/Nyanja (162 047), Portuguese (95 613), and a category of “other” languages (267 725).

Khoi, Nama and San languages were still spoken by 6 124 individuals, predominantly in the Northern Cape.

Religion

Although South Africa remains a predominantly Christian country, secularism has risen during this period.

Christianity remains the dominant religion, with 84.5% of South Africans affiliated with it in 2022.

Among black Africans, coloureds and whites, over 85% reported Christian affiliation, reinforcing its stronghold across racial groups.

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Hinduism remains a key religious identity within the Indian/Asian community, with 37.1% affiliating with the faith.

“This reflects the lasting influence of cultural and ancestral ties among South Africa’s Indian/Asian population,” said Stats SA.

However, a shift towards secularism is emerging, particularly among white South Africans.

According to Stats SA, white people were 1.78 times more likely than black Africans to report having no religious affiliation.