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).