New data finds that the number of marriages in the nation slipped nearly ten percent last year to fall below 200-thousand for the first time ever.

According to data on marriages and divorces released by Statistics Korea on Thursday, the number of marriages totaled 193-thousand last year, down nine-point-eight percent from the previous year. The tally was the lowest since the agency began compiling relevant data in 1970.

The nation has seen a steady decline in the number of marriages since 2012 but last year marked the first time for the figure to dip to the 100-thousands.

The statistics agency said the population in their 30s, the age group where most people tie the knot in the nation, slipped two-point-four percent last year and a growing number of people continued to get married late or not at all due to changes in perspectives on marriage.

The agency also attributed last year's drop to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many couples to postpone or cancel their weddings and also led to a sharp decline in the number of international marriages.

The number of divorces, meanwhile, fell four-and-a-half percent from a year ago to stand at 102-thousand in 2021.