SEOUL, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The number of marriages in South Korea rose 8.1 percent over the year to 240,300 in 2025, official data showed Thursday.

It marked the highest in seven years since 2018, keeping an upward trend for the third consecutive year, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

Of all marriages, first-time marriages for both partners accounted for 82.6 percent, while remarriages for both took up 9.0 percent last year.

The average age at first marriage was 33.9 for men and 31.6 for women.

The number of international marriages between South Koreans and foreign spouses decreased 0.3 percent to 20,700 in 2025 compared to the previous year, recording the first downturn in four years.

The multicultural marriages accounted for 8.6 percent of the total marriages in 2025, down from 9.3 percent in the previous year.

Of the foreign wives, Vietnamese women took up the largest share of 30.5 percent, followed by Chinese women at 16.1 percent and Thai women at 12.5 percent.

Among foreign husbands, the U.S. men made up the highest share of 28.2 percent, trailed by Chinese men at 16.6 percent and Vietnamese men at 14.8 percent.

The number of divorces shrank 3.3 percent from a year earlier to 88,100 in 2025, keeping a downward trend for the sixth successive year.

The average age at divorce was 51.0 for men and 47.7 for women.

The number of divorces among international couples grew 4.2 percent to 6,300 last year. ■