In 2022, they said yes to each other nearly 13,000 times in Normandy.
A figure up 22% compared to 2021, which places the region at the top of the strongest growth in marriages throughout France, more than 10 points from the national average which stands at + 10.5% .
For Bruno Mura, the head of this study at INSEE, this is not so surprising.
“Normandy was the second region most affected by the decline in marriages linked to the Covid epidemic and the various episodes of confinement.
In 2020, only 7,300 marriages were celebrated in the region, a drop of 37% compared to 2019. There is therefore an almost natural catch-up phenomenon.
At the departmental level, Manche, with an increase of 29.3%, even displays the 7th increase of all French departments, a ranking where the Ardennes is at the top with 36% additional marriages.
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“Overall all the Normandy departments are above the national average, including three (
Manche, but also Seine-Maritime at + 23.3% and Calvados at + 22%
) in the first 20,” continues the specialist for whom there are not necessarily objective reasons linked to a regional factor.
“One might think that people marry more in rural areas than in urban areas, although there are no marked differences in that regard.
We simply notice that the bride and groom pass in front of the mayor where they live nine times out of ten,” continues Bruno Mura.
Will climate change have an impact?
Norman married couples – as elsewhere in France – are increasingly older (on average 38 years for the woman and 40 years for the man) with 4 couples out of 10 already having children in common.
“Marriage in some way confirms an already established situation,” points out the head of the study while noting that when they remarry, women do so with a partner of approximately the same age as themselves, while men marry women younger than themselves.
The confirmation on the ground of a preconceived idea which, according to him, is not the only one.
“We generally get married on Saturday and seven times out of 10 between May and September.
It would also be interesting to see if climatic changes, for example with a milder late season, could have an impact on these habits.”