Are you married, or would you like to get married? In Germany, the number of marriages has almost halved since 1950. People also get married much later than they used to – on average, over the age of 30. On the other hand, the number of marriages has not continued to decline over the past few years. In most families, the parents are still married.

Most marriages in Germany end with the death of a spouse. Statistically, because women have a greater life expectancy, they are more often widowed, just as Inge lost her husband and is a widow.

If a marriage cannot be saved, it is possible to get a divorce in Germany without too much difficulty. About 40 percent of married couples later decide to divorce. Many people remain single after a divorce or the death of a spouse. But it is also completely normal in Germany to enter a relationship again. Regardless of how a previous marriage ended, in Germany you can remarry in a civil ceremony. However, not as many people do this anymore, because living together without being married has become more socially acceptable.