The number of couples opting for a registered partnership rather than a marriage continues to rise, the national statistics office said on Friday.

Last year, almost 13,000 registered partnerships were signed, a rise of 2,500 on 2014.

Marriage still remains much more popular than other forms of formalising relationships but has lost some of its appeal. Last year there were 64,300 weddings in the Netherlands, a drop of 1,000 on 2014.

The average age of the partners shows little difference in either registered partnerships or marriages, the CBS figures show. Women get hitched at an average age of 34 to men who are three years older.