PSA: Women living with partners as if married at 30-year high in 2022

The percentage of women aged 15 to 49 in formal marriage fell to a 30-year low in 2022, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).

This, as as the percentage of women in the same age range "living together with their partner as if married" increased in 2022 to a 30-year high.

The 2022 PSA survey had a total of 27,821 women respondents.

From 5.2% in 1993, the percentage of women in live-in arrangements grew to 6.2% in1998; 8.0% in 2003; 11.2% in 2008; 14.5% in 2013; 17.5% in 2017 and 18.8% in 2022.

Conversely, those in marriage fell from 54.4% in 1993; 53.4% in 1998; 55.6% in 2003; 50.7% in 2008; 45.8% in 2013; 42.4% in 2017 and 36.2% in 2022.

The PSA also recorded that December was the top month for marriages in five out of the past 10 years (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021).

In 2022, February was the top month for marriages with 52,043, followed by April with 44,468 and March with 41,434. June ranked fourth with 41,166.

In 2013 and 2022, most couples also got married in the month of February, while in 2016, it was in April and May in 2017.—LDF, GMA Integrated News