Two-thirds of marriages between Maltese couples and couples where one of the spouses is Maltese are still Church marriages, the Curia said on Tuesday.

In an analysis of marriages in Malta (excluding Gozo) last year, the Curia said the number of Church marriages in 2018 was 1,192 including 62 marriages where couples married civilly and then also got married at the altar. 

The Church issued its analysis in the wake of limited information given in parliament in reply to a parliamentary question. 

It said that the total number of Church marriages between foreign nationals was 73. If the number of marriages between foreign nationals was deducted, the number of Church marriages between Maltese nationals and between couples with one Maltese party was 1,119.

The number of civil marriages in 2018 was 1,423. That included marriages
between a man and a woman, same-sex marriages, second marriages and marriages between foreign nationals.

The total number of civil marriages between foreign nationals was 850. If the number of marriages between foreign nationals was deducted, the number of civil marriages between Maltese nationals and between couples with one Maltese party was 573.

Therefore, the Curia said, the total number of civil and Church marriages in Malta in 2018 was 2,614 and the total of marriages between Maltese couples and between couples with one Maltese party was 1,692.

"The statistics for 2018 also indicate that from the total number of marriages in Malta between Maltese couples, and Maltese nationals with foreign nationals, 66% (equivalent to 1,119) chose a Church marriage, and 34% (equivalent to 573) married civilly. This means that two-thirds of marriages held between Maltese nationals and between Maltese with foreign nationals are Church marriages," the Curia said.