Fewer people are getting married in the Netherlands and those who do are likely to be older, the national statistics office CBS said on Tuesday.

Forty years ago, 85% of 30-year-olds were married but now the figure is just 31%, the CBS said. In 1976, 88% of 40-year-olds had tied the knot, compared with 54% in 2016.

The new research also found 69% of men and 66% women in their 20s get married as a confirmation of their relationship. But 37% of young men also said they got married because it was what their partner wanted.

Women are more likely to list the romantic side of marriage – such as the party and the white dress – as reasons to tie the knot, the CBS said.