Monaco’s Mairie has just put out its annual report for 2018 on births and marriages and sad events, including death and divorce, too. It’s an important document. But, of course, there are limits to what it can tell us. Obviously, it can’t give us any clues about mega-events like global warming! But there are small clues that might give glimpses into Monaco’s quality of life. For example, there are lots of births and marriages reported so obviously hope springs eternal.
Cupid’s Arrow Strikes Monegasques
And some interesting details emerge about, for example, Monegasques marrying each other. A trend upwards from only two in 2016, doubling to four in 2017 and almost doubling again to seven in 2018. A statistical blip perhaps or will Cupid’s arrow strike ten Monegasque couples in 2019?
Monaco is a Magnet For marriages
Monaco is a popular place to get married, and often there are a majority of marriages here, which do not involve a single Monegasque partner. The pattern was repeated in 2018, with less than half that is 85 of the 183 marriages actually involving a Monegasque.
Love radiates Everywhere
And Monegasques, 45 men and 33 women, are obviously attractive marriage partners for people of other nationalities, or maybe just love radiates everywhere, irrespective of where you were born. Despite the blip upwards in 2018 of Monegasques marrying each other the clear majority are marrying “out” to other nationalities. It’s comforting to see there are a lot more marriages than divorces, although divorces reached a slighter higher level in 2018, 78 in all. Clearly marriage is still valued highly in Monaco even if just under half of the many births are out of wedlock.
Princess Grace Hospital Plays a Powerful Role In the Whole Region Around Monaco
Princess Grace Hospital is a very attractive place to be born and numbers are trending back up again towards 1000 which was pipped last in 2015. In 2018 it was 983 of which 227 births were from Monaco itself. So, from whence came the rest? As we would expect, they are from just across the border from Menton, Roquebrune and Cap d’Ail. Princess Grace Hospital is performing an important service for neighbouring communities.
Statistics are blind to happiness or sadness and the Mairie, as part of its duties, also keeps tabs on deaths and divorces.
Again Princess Grace Hospital plays an important role at the end of life as well as the beginning. Around 500 people appear to pass away each year. In 2018 the number is 528 including just over a half of which are from neighbouring communities.
Which Are Your Favourite Boys and Girl’s Names?
Does anyone know why there are slightly more boys than girls born in Princess Grace Hospital in three of the last four years? And which boy’s name do you prefer? For four of the last five years Gabriel has been popular, often heading the list as it does yet again in 2018. And “what goes down must come back up” to reverse the well-known saying – the name Andrea is back in popularity.
And which girl’s name do you prefer? Lea, Victoria and Chloé have made it to the top of the hit parade in 2018, with Emma and Sofia reliable runners up, year after year.
Name-spotting, is a fun part of the Mairie’s report. We wonder what 2019 has in store with new names to surprise us no doubt.
