Secular, humanist weddings outstripped Christian weddings for the first time in Scotland last year, prompting calls for wider recognition across the UK.
Humanist weddings, as distinct from civil ones were recognised legally in Scotland in 2005, in the Republic of Ireland in 2012 and in Northern Ireland in 2018 after a Court of Appeal ruling that failing to do so was a breach of human rights. They are not recognised in England and Wales.
Humanist ceremonies made up 23 per cent of the 26,007 marriages in Scotland in 2019, while Christian marriages accounted for 22 per cent.
Just under half of all marriages were civil ceremonies, at 12,635. A number of humanist groups were among religious and other belief bodies that carried out weddings, with the most popular being Humanist Society Scotland at 3,276 and Independent Humanist Ceremonies at 1,270. The Church of Scotland carried out 2,225 weddings and the Roman Catholic Church 911.
There were 912 same-sex marriages and 83 civil partnerships last year, 50 involving male couples and 33 involving female couples.
