OTTAWA - Statistics Canada says COVID-19 disruptions are likely behind a historic drop in the number of marriages registered during the earliest days of the pandemic. The federal agency says vital statistics data from 2020 reveals the lowest annual number of marriages since 1938 and the largest annual drop since records began in 1921. The drop was also more severe in Ontario and eastward, where early COVID-19 precautions were generally more stricthan out west. The decline ranged from an 18 per cent drop in Saskatchewan to 49 per cent in Quebec. StatCan says 2020 also saw a record 25 per cent drop in the number of divorces, likely due to pandemic-related slowdowns in court proceedings.

Source: thestar November 15, 2022 04:02 UTC