Belgium: 17% of weddings are mixed

Belgium: 17% of weddings are mixed

A sixth of the weddings in Belgium today are 'mixed'. Ten years ago, just 12% of the Belgians married a foreigner. This according to figures from the National Institute for Statistics.


This article was prepared by the Islam in Europe blog - islamineurope.blogspot.com

In 2008, there were 45,613 weddings in Belgium, of which 35,681 were between two Belgians and 2,278 between two foreigners. The rest - 7,615 marriages, or 17% - were mixed. In a mixed marriage, one of the two partners has a nationality other than Belgian during the wedding. There is no differentiation in the statistics between a Belgian and a naturalized Belgian.

In 1997 there were just 5,983 mixed weddings of a total of 47,759. The most common combination for mixed marriages is Belgian-Moroccan. French and Dutch marriage partners are also popular, particularly along the border. While the number of mixed marriages is increasing, many also end in divorce. In 2008, 5,165 mixed marriages were dissolved, double the number ten years ago.

Source: HLN (Dutch)

No comments: