Wellington, Sep 19 (IANS): More than a quarter of the same-sex couples married in New Zealand in the first month since its marriage equality law came into effect were from abroad.

The overseas couples came from countries including China, the US and Britain, Xinhua reported citing New Zealand's Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages Jeff Montgomery.

Twenty-four of the 82 same-sex couples married since Aug 19 came from abroad while the others were from New Zealand, according to Montgomery.

"We are seeing continued national and international interest by same-sex couples in getting married in New Zealand," he said.

"We expect the number of same-sex weddings to increase as we move into spring."

Forty-two female couples married, including seven couples from Australia, two from China, one from Hong Kong and one from Britain.

Of the 40 male couples who married, six were from Australia, four from Thailand, one from China and one from the US.

New Zealand became the first country in the Asia-Pacific region and the 13th in the world to allow same-sex marriages when it passed the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act earlier this year.