One third of marriages in NZ end before 25th anniversary

WELLINGTON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- One third of the
couples in New Zealand break up before they reach their silver wedding
anniversary, or the 25th anniversary, according to the country's official
statistics agency on Tuesday.

The number of marriages recorded last year rose by
400 to 21,900, the Statistics New Zealand said.

But the Family Court granted 9,700 divorces last year
- just under the annual average of 10,000 for the past decade.

The agency said a study of divorce statistics showed
that about a third of those who married in 1983 were divorced before the time of
their 25th anniversary.

Half of the marriages that dissolved in 2008 lasted
13.4 years or more. The median age of divorce was 44.5 for men and about 42 for
women.