Number of same-sex marriages in Australia 2020, by state and celebrant affiliation

After the legislation was changed in December of 2017 to allow same-sex couples to marry in Australia, the country in 2020 witnessed a total of 939 same-sex marriages performed by civil celebrants in New South Wales alone. The overwhelming majority of same-sex marriages held in Australia were administered by civil celebrants, with the territories recording fewer same sex-marriages performed by a minister of religion.

 Same-sex marriage postal survey

In 2017, the Australian people were given the opportunity to give their opinion on whether they believed same-sex marriages should be allowed in Australia. Although the results varied between regions and states, overall, just over 60 percent of Australians were in favor same-sex couples being able to marry. This amendment was not only significant for gay and lesbian couples who were previously unable to marry, but the change was also tipped to increase revenue for the wedding industry as a whole.

 Increasing civil unions, decreasing church weddings

Churches and religious groups were one of the more vocal opponents of the amendment to the Marriage Act to allow same-sex couples to marry. Some churches have defied the status quo and chosen to recognize and marry same-sex couples, but only a small number of gay and lesbian couples have been married in Australian churches so far. The vast majority of same-sex marriages are instead contributing to the rise in the share of civil celebrant weddings. However, this trend has been evident since the 1990s and is likely to be more influenced by the increasing number of Australians who do not identify with a particular religion.