| Information about the Civil Unions |
Availability
| Valid From: .. | 04/26/2007 |
| To: .. | Ongoing |
| Frequency: .. | Annually |
Design
Purpose: As the principal agency responsible for processing and publishing civil union statistics in New Zealand, Statistics New Zealand seeks to provide information that meets the legal, public policy and community requriements for up-to-date oficial statistics at the national level.
General Information ..Method of Collection
The Civil Unions Act 2004 came into force on 26 April 2005 and the first ceremonies were celebrated on 29 April 2005. A civil union may be entered into by couples of the same sex or by couples of different sexes. In New Zealand, a civil union may be solemnised either by a civil union celebrant or before a registrar of civil unions. A licence must be obtained from a registrar before a civil union can be solemnised, and notice must be given by one of the parties to a registrar. A couple (same or opposite sex) wishing to enter into a civil union in New Zealand must complete a Notice of Intended Civil Union (BDM360) at least three days before the civil union. The BDM360 (or civil union licence) includes a statutory declaration which must be made in the presence of a Registrar of Civil Unions. The civil union must take place within 3 months of the licence being issued. The details from the BDM360 are transferred to two copies of the form BDM345 (Copy of Particulars of Civil Union). Both copies of the BDM345 are signed by the parties at the ceremony. The BDM345 confirms the details and legal validity of the civil union. Within ten days of the ceremony the celebrant must send one copy back to the Registrar who prepared it, the other copy is given to the couple as a record of their civil union. The BDM345s are marked against the BDM360s then forwarded to Births, Deaths and Marriages (a division of the Department of Internal Affairs) in Wellington where the civil union is registered. There is also the provision for opposite-sex couples to transfer an existing marriage to a civil union, or a civil union to a marriage.
Civil union data are derived from information provided on the BDM360, BDM345 or BDM 359. Statistics New Zealand receives a monthly electronic file of civil union registrations from Births, Deaths and Marriages. Statistics NZ is responsible for processing and publishing marriage and civil union statistics derived from the marriage and civil union registrations. Civil union data are published annually and unless otherwise stated refer to civil unions by date of registration not date of occurrence. In recognition of public interest in the progress of civil unions, there are also quarterly releases of provisional civil union data as a web-only table. The provisional quarterly data are available within 5 weeks of the end of the quarter.
The questions on the current Notice of Intended Civil Union Form (BDM360):
(Details must be given for both parties to civil union)
Full address of place where civil union is to be solemnised+
Date or approximate date of civil union+
Full name of celebrant+
For both parties to civil union:
Current first or given name*
Current surname or family name*
First or given name(s) at birth+
Surname or given name at birth+
Sex
Full date of birth
Place of birth
Usual occupation, profession or job*
What was your last relationship (if any)?- marriage, civil union, never been married or in a civil union
If previously married or in a civil union, how did that relationship end*
When did that relationship end? *
Usual residential address in full
First or given name(s), surname or family and surname or family name at birth of father+
First or given name(s), surname or family and surname or family name at birth of mother+
+ Question on the BDM360 but not supplied to Statistics NZ
* Question on the BDM360 supplied to Statistics NZ but not coded by Statistics NZ
Output Variables
Output variables are pieces of individual information that can be extracted from the survey/output data. Often output variables can be cross tabulated with other output variables, for example sales by industry classification. The list below contains all current and past output variables which have been released for this survey/output.
| Variable Name | Description |
 | |
| Period | Year and month of registration
|
Date of civil union
Age group | Day, month and year
Five year age groups of both parties |
| |
| Relationship type | Same-sex (male/male; female/female) Opposite sex (male/female) |
| Residence of party 2 | Grouped territorial authorities where partner 2 usually lives. |
| |
Changes in Output Variables over time
Guide to Interpreting Data
Summary of Changes to Survey/Output ..Important Dates Relating to Civil Union Statistics
2005 Relationship (Statutory References) Act 2005 enacted March 2005.
2005 Civil Union Act 2004 came into force on 26 April 2005, allowing registration of same-sex as well as opposite-sex partnerships. The first ceremonies were celebrated on 29 April 2005.
Usage and Limitations of the Data ..
Related Data Sources ..Marriages
Divorces
Sampling Errors ..None - no sampling involved
Non-sampling errors Processing errors
There is always the chance of processing errors happening but quality control measures are in place. These include:
a) Verification of outliers
b) Checking for valid codes
c) Removal of duplicate records
d) Following up missing responses
Caveats on Release ..
Customised Output
Due to the small numbers of civil unions registered annually, data is aggregated to preserve confidentiality. Civil union statistics available from Statistics New Zealand include civil unions by age group, sex of partner(s), year of civil union, type of relationship (ie. same-sex male/male, same-sex female/female, opposite-sex). Civil unions by residence of one party are available for grouped Territorial Authorities (cities and district councils).
Businesses whose existence is directly or indirectly related to marriage and civil union statistics, such as florists, wedding boutiques, photographers, etc would find this information useful for predicting future demand for their products and services.
Catalogue & Reference Numbers
Other Comments
Classification(s) used
Classifications |
Classification Versions |
Classification Type |
AGE - Age - New Zealand Standard Classification |
V1.0 |
NZ Standard |
AGEGPS - Age - 5 Year Groupings |
V1.0 |
Standard |
SEX - Sex - New Zealand Standard Classification |
V1.0 |
NZ Standard |
TA06 - Territorial Authority 2006 |
V2.0 |
NZ Standard |
Glossary of Terms
| Term | Description |
| |
Civil Union (registered)
Marriage (Registered)
Relationship type | The act, ceremony or process by which the legal relationship of two people is constituted. A civil union may be entered into by couples of the same sex or by couples of different sexes. In New Zealand, a civil union may be solemnised either by a civil union celebrant or before a registrar of civil unions. A licence must be obtained from a registrar before a civil union can be solemnised, and notice must be given by one of the parties to a registrar.
(Also referred to as registered civil union.)
The act, ceremony or process by which the legal relationship of husband and wife is constituted. In New Zealand, marriage may be solemnised either by a celebrant or before a registrar of marriages. A licence must be obtained from a registrar before a marriage by a celebrant can be solemnised, and notice must be given by one of the parties to a registrar.
(Also referred to as registered marriage.)
Opposite-sex couple, male couple or female couple |
| |
Contact Details
Liability
Statistics New Zealand gives no warranty that the information or data supplied contains no errors. However, all care and diligence has been used in processing, analysing and extracting the information. Statistics New Zealand shall not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by the customer consequent upon the use directly, or indirectly, of the information supplied in this product.