August 8, 2016 - Marriage Foundation

Throughout Europe, the rich marry and the poor don’t

Everyone knows that fewer people get married these days. This has become an increasingly serious problem for the simple reason that most couples who don’t marry don’t stay together whereas most couples who do marry do stay together. Among parents, roughly eight out of ten who are married when their child is born will still be […]

Scandinavian countries rank worst in Europe for marriage take-up among poorest

PRESS RELEASE FROM MARRIAGE FOUNDATION Date: 07 August 2016 Low income parents in Scandinavia are amongst the least likely in Europe to be married, according to new research by Marriage Foundation. Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark have an average of under a third (30 per cent) of poor parents who are married, as compared to […]

Family breakdown costs £50bn a year

When couples split up, families move from one to two households. Poverty is a common outcome that affects children. Six out of ten lone parents are supported by the state compared to one out of ten couple parents. That's where most of the £50bn is spent.

UK Among highest family breakdown in Europe

Five years ago, the UK had the highest rate of family breakdown in Europe. We're not doing as badly today, but only because of big falls in divorce rates. Alas there's no sign of a similar improvement among cohabitees

Lower Divorce Rates – Higher Lone Parents

Divorce rates have plummeted over the past 3 decades, but the number of lone parents has doubled in the same period. Why?... Because unmarried parents make up only one in five cohabiting parents but are responsible for one half of all family breakdown.

Stability is found in Marriage

Whereas stability is the norm if parents are married (75% stay together), it is the exception if they are not (30% stay together). As a result, among parents of teens who are still together as a couple, nine out of ten are married

Single Most Important Factor

The single most important factor in a child’s healthy development is the stable relationship of the parents. Our groundbreaking research shows that family breakdown is the #1 predictor of teenage mental health problems.

The Marriage Foundation is registered as a charity in England and Wales.

Registered charity number: 1150453

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Day: 8 August 2016

Throughout Europe, the rich marry and the poor don’t

Scandinavian countries rank worst in Europe for marriage take-up among poorest

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