Latest marriage statistics underline need for legal reform
Posted on April 11, 2018
The Office for National Statistics’ has released a report revealing that in 2015 the marriage rate for opposite-sex couples was the lowest on record (following a gradual long-term decline since the early 1970s). Such a statistic arguably underlines the pressing need for the reform in respect of the law as it relates to unmarried cohabitating couples and pre-nuptial agreements.
Some key points to report:
- There were 239,020 marriages between opposite-sex couples in 2015, a 3.4% decrease on 2014.
- Marriage rates for opposite-sex couples in 2015 were the lowest on record, with 21.7 marriages per thousand unmarried men, and 19.8 marriages per thousand unmarried women.
- Compared with 2005, marriage rates for opposite-sex couples marrying in 2015 were lower at all ages, except for men aged 65 and over and women aged 55 and over where marriage rates increased.
- In 2015 there were 6,493 marriages between same-sex couples (accounting for 2.6% of all marriages), with a further 9,156 same-sex couples converting their civil partnership into a marriage (which, if added to the 6,493 marriages, means 6.1% of all marriages in 2015 were between same-sex couples)
- In 2015, of all individuals marrying a same-sex partner, 85% were forming their first legally recognised partnership compared with 76% for opposite-sex couples.
To see the full report follow this link:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/marriagecohabitationandcivilpartnerships/bulletins/marriagesinenglandandwalesprovisional/2015#main-points
