Marriage rate in Idaho at lowest point in 60 years

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — The state’s marriage rate in 2011 fell to its lowest point in the last 60 years, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says.

The Coeur d’Alene Press reported in a story published Thursday that the agency in its annual Idaho Vital Statistics for 2011 found the marriage rate fell to 8.6 per 1,000 people in 2011. That’s down from 8.8 per 1,000 people in 2010. The agency also found a decrease in divorces and births.

The agency reports in its most recently compiled information that the oldest groom in 2011 was 95, while the youngest was 16. The oldest bride was 91, and the youngest 15.

The agency says the state’s population from 2010 to 2011 increased 1.1 percent to 1.58 million.

The annual report gives a snapshot of the state by tallying births, deaths, marriages, divorces, abortions and other information. The information can be used to make comparisons with previous years and other states.

“The report is a rich compilation of data that offers insight into the lives of Idahoans,” said Pamela Harder, research analyst supervisor for the department’s Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics. “But it’s just a small sample of the data we have available.”

The 2011 report also marks the 100th anniversary of the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Idaho.

The report also uncovered other interesting tidbits of information.

The most popular marriage date with 313 weddings turned out to be Sept. 9, 2011, a date that reads nine-10-11. The second most popular with 296 marriages was Nov. 11, 2011, or 11-11-11.

The most popular boy’s name in 2011 was Mason, while the most popular girls name was a tie between Emma and Sophia.

Divorces fell 4.5 percent from 8,136 in 2010 to 7,773 in 2011. The oldest person obtaining a divorce was 95. The shortest marriage lasted 11 days.

For the fifth consecutive year, Idaho’s birth rate dropped. The birth rate was 16.7 per 1,000 people in 2007, compared to 14.1 per 1,000 in 2011.