Between 2012 and 2022, Marriage Foundation became a leading voice for evidence-based research and commentary on marriage, commitment, and family stability.
Over that decade, we produced more than seventy research reports and briefing notes, often in collaboration with leading academics in the UK and the USA. Our findings consistently reached national attention, with over 1,300 media appearances across major news outlets, current affairs programmes, newspapers, and radio.
Our work has contributed to a wider understanding of marriage and commitment — cutting through myths and misconceptions with clear, accessible evidence about what drives stability and what this means for children.
A major focus of our research has been the growing “Marriage Gap” — the stark difference in marriage rates between rich and poor families.
Our analysis of national data showed that among mothers with children under five, 87% of those in higher-income groups were married compared with only 24% in lowerincome groups. This gap contributes to avoidable levels of family instability and poverty.
The Marriage Gap
% of new mothers who are married, by income
Marriage is a social justice issue because the Marriage Gap means those who could benefit most from the stability associated with formal commitment are the least likely to experience it. When couples split up, family resources become diluted and lone parent families are especially vulnerable to poverty.
As we have shown time and again, we cannot fully address poverty without tackling family instability.
Our tenth-anniversary research using the UK Longitudinal Household Survey revealed that the likelihood of parents splitting up in any given year between 2009 and 2018 was more than three times higher for cohabiting couples than for married couples.
Married parents: On average, 1.9% of married parents split up in any given year (1.0% among the richest to 2.8% of the poorest).
Cohabiting parents: On average, 6.5% of cohabiting parents split up in any given year (2.9% among the richest to 8.9% of the poorest).
Even after adjusting for income, age, education, ethnicity, and relationship satisfaction, cohabiting parents were still nearly twice as likely to split up.
In short, the poorest married parents achieve greater stability than the richest cohabiting ones.
% of parents who split up during a 1-year period
UKLHS 2009-10, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2015-16, 2017-18
by marital status and household income
Our analysis of data from 10,929 mothers with 14-year-old children in the Millennium Cohort Study reveals how family breakdown is the single biggest factor in teenage mental health problems for girls and equal top factor for boys (along with parental relationship happiness) (Nov 2017).
High levels of mental health problems aged 14
by sex and parental marital status
Research consistently shows that marriage and civil partnership are associated with higher levels of relationship stability. Thus, providing a strong foundation for family life whereby families can share love, time, and resources, helping parents to flourish and children to thrive.
Yet the poorest families are often discouraged from marrying by welfare policies that penalise couples financially, and by a political culture that privately values marriage but publicly avoids the subject.
Marriage Foundation continues to challenge this inequality. We believe that strengthening commitment is one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to reduce family breakdown and poverty.
That is why marriage and civil partnership remains at the heart of our work, for the good of children, families, and society.
Marriage is still overwhelmingly popular: In our survey of young unmarried adults aged 18-30, more than 80% said they ‘would like to get married at some point in their life’ (May 2021).
Meeting online: One in four couples now meet online, but our survey of married adults over 30 found that they face six times greater divorce risk in their first few years compared to those who met through family and friends. This highlights the importance of social capital (Oct 2021).
Wedding costs: They are now in the range of £5,000-£10,000, far below the £30,000 figure often advertised by ‘big wedding’ magazines. This myth-busting research is especially important because ‘cost of wedding’ is put as one of the biggest reasons couples say they haven’t married (Feb 2022).
Divorce rates are now at their lowest level since the 1960s: As social pressure to marry has disappeared, those who do marry are more committed (Feb 2021).
A ‘divorce boom’ following the pressures of lockdown? There is no hard evidence for this. In fact, survey data suggests married parents have coped amazingly well. The group who has struggled most has been cohabiting mothers, who face the most ambiguity in their relationships (Feb 2021).
The first ten years of Marriage Foundation established a solid evidence base and reshaped the national conversation about commitment and stability.
Today, our work continues — researching, advocating, and collaborating to ensure that every child grows up in the security of lasting love and stable family relationships.