WELLINGTON, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand saw fewer marriages registered last year compared to a decade ago, and more Kiwi couples waited longer to get married, a senior official said on Friday, Valentine's Day.

There were 20,383 couples who registered marriages last year in New Zealand, down from 23,043 a decade prior, said Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden, who revealed some insight into how many couples tied the knot in 2024.

"New Zealanders are now choosing to wait longer to get married," van Velden said, adding that one-quarter of all newlyweds in 2024 aged 29 or under, and 47 percent aged between 30 and 39.

In comparison, in 2014 one-third were under 30 on their wedding day, and 38 percent were aged between 30 and 39, statistics showed.

"Some Kiwis find love later in life, with 740 people getting married who were aged 70 or older," she said.

Some couples even choose to make Valentine's Day their special day, with 12,272 weddings occurring on Feb. 14 since records began in 1848, the minister said. Enditem

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