This graph shows the rate of marriage per 1,000 people per year in New Zealand. The term 'marriage rate' means the numbers getting married (rather than the total number of married people) in any one year. The age structure of the population is an important element in determining the marriage rate – New Zealanders are most likely to marry in their 20s, so if there are high numbers in this age group, the marriage rate tends to rise. Wars also cause increases and decreases in the rate of marriage. The two highest points are those at the beginning and end of the Second World War, and a similar spike occurred after the First World War. By 2016, the rate had dropped to its lowest level since records began – 4.3 marriages per 1,000.