Statistics Canada says COVID-19 disruptions are likely behind a historic drop in the number of new marriages during the earliest days of the pandemic.
The federal agency says vital statistics data from 2020 reveals the lowest annual number of marriages registered since 1938.
It’s also the largest annual drop since records began in 1921.
It says more than 98,000 marriages were registered in Canada in 2020 – one-third lower than in 2019.
StatCan notes the decline coincided with widespread precautions introduced mid-March that included lockdowns, gathering restrictions, travel bans and the closure of non-essential retail.
The drop was also more severe in Ontario and eastward, where early COVID-19 precautions were generally more stringent than out west.
The decline ranged from an 18 per cent drop in Saskatchewan to 49 per cent in Quebec.
StatCan says it expects more marriages took place in 2021 as many restrictions eased.
The Canadian Press
