UPDATED: Just 19 New Zealand same-sex couples had civil unions in 2014, while there were 486 same-sex weddings. Richard Taki and Shane Scally married in Auckland Statistics New Zealand has released figures from the first full year of marriage equality. From August 2013 till the end of that year New Zealanders celebrated 209 same-sex weddings. In 2014, 391 couples from overseas had same-sex marriages in New Zealand, while 29 couples (both same-sex and opposite) transferred their civil union to marriage. There have not yet been any same-sex divorces. “In New Zealand, an application for divorce can be made by either partner on the grounds that the marriage or civil union has broken down irreconcilably, provided a two-year separation requirement is satisfied,” Statistics New Zealand says. “However, couples may be separated for longer than two years before divorcing or may separate and never formally divorce. “Therefore, no same-sex marriages have yet been dissolved.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 6th May 2015 - 9:15am