Marriage, cohabitation and civil partnerships

Marriages formed, civil partnerships formed and dissolved, and estimates of the population by marital status and living arrangements.

Highlights

In 2016, there were 249,793 marriages in England and Wales, 1.7% more than in 2015, but 1.0% fewer than in 2014.
97.2% of all marriages were between opposite-sex couples and 2.8% were between same-sex couples.
There were 7,019 marriages between same-sex couples in 2016, an increase of 8.1% from 2015; of these marriages, 55.7% were between female couples.

Civil partnership formations

Civil partnership formations which took place in England and Wales analysed by sex, age, previous marital status and area of occurrence.
Number of marriages, marriage rates and period of occurrence

Annual statistics on the number of marriages and marriage rates. Statistics are also included on the day, month and quarter of occurrence. Some tables provide data back to 1837.
Marriage summary statistics (Provisional)

Provisional summary statistics on marriages which took place in England and Wales. Some historic data are also provided for comparison.
Marriages by area of occurrence, type of ceremony and denomination

Annual marriage statistics by area of occurrence, type of ceremony and denomination. Some tables provide data back to 1837.
Marriage statistics, cohabitation and cohort analyses

Statistics on marriages which took place in England and Wales which include figures on cohabitation before marriage. The cohort analyses provide statistics on the proportion of men and women who have ever married or remarried by certain ages by year of birth.
Age and previous marital status at marriage

Annual marriage statistics by age at marriage and previous marital status. Some tables provide data back to 1846.

Marriages in England and Wales: 2016

Number of marriages that took place in England and Wales analysed by age, sex, previous marital status and civil or religious ceremony.
Civil partnerships in England and Wales: 2017

Annual statistics on formations and dissolutions of civil partnerships analysed by the sex, age, and previous marital status of the couples and the place of registration.

2011 Census analysis

We examine couples (either married, in a civil partnership, or cohabiting) who each identify with a different ethnic group. This analysis explores some of the different factors that may affect the number of inter-ethnic relationships, including ethnic group, gender, age, type of relationship and dependent children. Exploring inter-ethnic relationships provides further insight into the patterns and trends of an increasingly ethnically diverse population. In 2011 nearly 1 in 10 people who were living as part of a couple were in an inter-ethnic relationship, an increase from 2001.

A handy guide to let you know where to find local statistics.