Negros Island grooms now marry at 30 as intermarriages rise

Men in the Negros Island Region are waiting longer to walk down the aisle, with the median age of marriage now at 30 years old, while a growing number of Filipino women in the region are choosing foreign husbands, according to the latest Philippine Statistics Authority data.

The PSA’s Regional Statistical Services Office-Negros Island Region released the figures on March 30 as part of its special report on Women and Men in the region, drawing from 2024 preliminary data.

The region recorded a total of 17,942 marriages in 2024. Negros Occidental accounted for the largest share at 51.2 percent, followed by Negros Oriental at 35.6 percent, Bacolod City at 11.7 percent, and Siquijor at 1.5 percent.

Among husbands, 33.3 percent married at ages 25 to 29, while 28.2 percent were in the 30-to-34 age bracket. Wives followed a similar pattern, with about one in every three marrying at ages 25 to 29. The median age of marriage was 30 years old for husbands and 28 years old for wives.

A striking gap emerged at the younger end of the age spectrum. Only 0.7 percent of total marriages involved teenage husbands, while the proportion of teenage wives was markedly higher — a disparity that underscores the different pressures and circumstances shaping marriage decisions for young men and women in the region.

The data also revealed a significant international dimension to NIR’s marriage landscape. A total of 505 marriages involved Filipino women and foreign husbands. Nearly half — 46.3 percent — of these brides married Americans. Australians accounted for 6.3 percent, Canadians for 6.1 percent, and British nationals for 5.7 percent. The remaining 35.4 percent involved husbands of other nationalities.

The trend toward later marriage and the prevalence of intermarriages reflect broader shifts in the social fabric of the sugar-producing region, where global connections — often forged through overseas Filipino worker networks and digital platforms — are reshaping how and whom Negrenses choose to marry.

The PSA report also showed that the region recorded 53,694 births in 2024, with 27,753 males and 25,941 females. Of these, 93.7 percent were attended by health professionals, 5.7 percent by traditional birth attendants, and 0.6 percent by others.

Negros Occidental registered the highest number of births at 28,478, followed by Negros Oriental with 19,016, Bacolod City with 5,154, and Siquijor with 1,046.

On the other end of the life cycle, the region recorded 20,055 male deaths and 15,573 female deaths in 2024, yielding a sex ratio at death of 128.78 — roughly 129 male deaths for every 100 female deaths. Ischaemic heart diseases topped the leading causes of death for both sexes.