The number of unmarried Ukrainian couples living together, which by the way was totally frowned upon in the Soviet Union, has doubled over the years of independence, KW wrote in a 2012 special issue.
Since 1991 the average age of Ukrainians getting married has increased by 2 years. 20 years ago the average age of men and women officially registering their marriage for the first time was 24.5 and 22.5 years, respectively, which means couples got married after graduating from university. Today, the average Ukrainian groom is 26 – 27 years old and the average Ukrainian bride is 24 – 24.5 years old.
The number of couples living in common law marriage has doubled over that time.
Social studies by the M.V. Ptukha Institute for Demographic and Social Studies at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine show that approximately 10 – 12% of couples live in common law marriage without officially registering their relations.
While in 1991 approximately 11% were children born out of wedlock, the indicator rose to 22% (over 100,000 newborns) last year.
