Spotlight
Marriages in England and Wales: 2017
What's in the bulletin?
- There were 242,842 marriages in England and Wales in 2017, a decrease of 2.8% from 2016.
- Marriage rates for opposite-sex couples in 2017 were the lowest on record, with 21.2 marriages per 1,000 unmarried men and 19.5 marriages per 1,000 unmarried women.
- Less than a quarter (22%) of all marriages in 2017 were religious ceremonies, the lowest percentage on record.
Civil partnerships in England and Wales: 2018
What's in the bulletin?
- There were 956 civil partnerships formed in England and Wales in 2018, an increase of 5.3% compared with 2017; this is the third annual increase following a large decrease between 2013 and 2015 after the introduction of marriages of same-sex couples in 2014.
- Nearly two-thirds (65%) of all civil partnerships formed in 2018 were between men, a similar proportion to the previous year (66%).
- In 2018, the average age of women forming a civil partnership (51.6 years) was higher than for men (50.5 years).
Milestones: journeying into adulthood
We used to think of getting married and having children as some of life's most important milestones. How are some of the modern markers of adulthood – from working life to living arrangements – changing?
Datasets related to Marriage, cohabitation and civil partnerships
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Marriages in England and Wales
Number of marriages that took place annually in England and Wales by age, sex, area, previous marital status, cohabitation, civil or religious ceremony, day and month of wedding, and marriage rates.
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Vital statistics in the UK: births, deaths and marriages
Annual UK and constituent country figures for births, deaths, marriages, divorces, civil partnerships and civil partnership dissolutions.
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Civil partnership dissolutions
Civil partnership dissolutions which took place in England and Wales analysed by sex, age and previous marital status.
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Civil partnership formations
Civil partnership formations which took place in England and Wales analysed by sex, age, previous marital status and area of occurrence.
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Population estimates by marital status and living arrangements, England and Wales
Annual estimates of population by marital status and living arrangements by age group and sex.
Publications related to Marriage, cohabitation and civil partnerships
Statistical bulletins
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Marriages in England and Wales: 2017
Number of marriages that took place in England and Wales analysed by age, sex, previous marital status and civil or religious ceremony.
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Civil partnerships in England and Wales: 2019
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.
Articles
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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.
Methodology related to Marriage, cohabitation and civil partnerships
Looking for local statistics?
A handy guide to let you know where to find local statistics.