Request
Annually, since 2001, statistics for marriages where one or both person was aged 16 or 17, showing:
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Total number of such marriages
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A breakdown by venue ie how many were civil marriages, how many were at places of worship (with a breakdown by denomination including the specific numbers for both Muslims and Jews)
Response
Please find attached a spreadsheet showing civil and religious marriages to brides and bridegrooms aged 16 and 17 in England and Wales for the years 2001 to 2009.
The religious data cannot be split by Jewish and Muslim ceremonies. Marriage statistics by denomination can be misleading as some religious marriages (eg Muslim and Sikh) can take place at unregistered premises. To be registered as a legal marriage the couple have a further marriage ceremony in a registry office or approved building. Such weddings are coded as civil marriages because only the civil marriage certificate is received.
Given that marriage statistics by denomination can be misleading for some religions, ONS now only publish religious denominations under the following groupings:
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Church of England and Church in Wales.
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Catholic.
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Other Christian denominations (includes Methodist, Calvinistic Methodist, United Reformed Church, Congregationalist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends (Quakers), Salvation Army, Brethren and Jehovah’s Witnesses).
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Other (includes Jews, Muslim and Sikh).
Further marriage data is available on the ONS website.
Other special extracts and tabulations of marriage data for England and Wales are available (subject to legal frameworks, disclosure control, resources and agreement of costs, where appropriate). You do not need to make a Freedom of Information request and can contact the team directly at: vsob@ons.gsi.gov.uk
