Engagement ring sales surge 14%, 77 Diamonds finds
Marriage numbers have surged since 2020, with 239,094 weddings recorded in 2021 and 284,382 in 2022—the highest figure since 2016
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Engagement ring sales have grown by 14% annually, driven by a resurgence in marriages that has reversed years of decline in the UK, according to a new analysis by online diamond retailer 77 Diamonds.
Exclusive insights from 77 Diamonds suggest that this post-pandemic wedding surge has continued since 2022. As a result, engagement ring sales between 2022 and 2024 have increased by 28.8%.
77 Diamonds stated that this trend marks a significant shift from the previous decade. Marriage data from the Office for National Statistics revealed that between 2012 and 2019, the number of UK marriages fell from 302,654 to 252,200. In the three years leading up to 2019, marriages experienced an “uninterrupted” decline.
The pandemic further accelerated this downturn. With strict social distancing restrictions in place, the number of marriages in 2020 plummeted to just over 100,000. However, the trend has since reversed.
According to 77 Diamonds’ report, the experience of the pandemic appears to have “reignited a passion for marriage. Marriage numbers have surged since 2020, with 239,094 weddings recorded in 2021 and 284,382 in 2022—the highest figure since 2016.
This growth has positioned the UK among Europe’s fastest-recovering countries in terms of marriage rates.
In fact, further analysis of European crude marriage rates by 77 Diamonds found that the UK’s annual increase of 18% means it has seen one of Europe’s largest post-pandemic marriage booms, ranking 7th behind Luxembourg (27%), Portugal (25%), the Netherlands (25%), Sweden (24%), Belgium (20%), and Spain (19%).
Tobias Kormind, co-founder of 77 Diamonds, said: “Before the pandemic, marriage seemed to be falling out of fashion, particularly among younger generations who were either delaying it or opting out entirely. But the pandemic appears to have changed perspectives—almost two years of isolation forced many to reevaluate what truly matters, leading to a renewed commitment to long-term relationships.”
He added: “What’s interesting is that this boom has continued well beyond the initial post-pandemic period, suggesting a deeper cultural shift. Younger generations may have previously resisted traditional marriage expectations, but now they’re redefining the institution on their own terms—making it a personal expression of love and commitment rather than a societal obligation.”
