Marriage or civil partnership? Couples are making their choice
Whilst marriage is once again on the rise in mainland France (+1.4 per cent), only 107 marriages were celebrated in the territory in 2025. This figure represents a sharp decline (-14%) compared with the previous year, when 124 couples tied the knot.
Following an upturn in 2024 (+7 per cent), couples therefore seem less keen to tie the knot. We are also a long way from the record set in 2021, when 128 couples said ‘I do’. In Saint Martin, marriage no longer seems to be a priority!
According to the Civil Registry Office of the Collectivity of Saint Martin, the civil partnership (PACS), on the other hand, continues to prove popular. In 2025, 41 couples opted for this arrangement, representing a slight increase of 2 per cent compared with 2024, following a 13 per cent decline the previous year. This trend contrasts with that in mainland France, where the number of PACS had risen by just 0.3 per cent between 2023 and 2024. Being more flexible and less formal, it therefore seems to be holding its own. It remains to be seen whether couples are prioritising administrative simplicity or whether they simply prefer to save money on the dress, the wedding rings and the reception!
However, the study does not specify how many divorces were granted during those years. It’s a shame, as this would have helped us find out whether, in Saint Martin, love stories always end as happily as they begin!
