In the first six years of Marriage Foundation we have focused on establishing the reality of family stability and instability: what actually happens to couples and their children, who stays together and who splits up. This is transforming the debate about marriage which, previously, had been obscured by myths and misconceptions.
This briefing note draws together our most significant findings to date.
See Our Top 10 Key Facts on Marriage
Analysis of data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the ‘marriage gap’ between rich and poor has doubled in 30 years. Whereas in
Marriage boosts stability for parents and acts as a buffer against problems for children. This is especially true today now that divorce rates are at
Contrary to claims in the media, lockdown has been good news for most married parents. Speculation about a coming ‘divorce boom’ is misplaced. We analysed
Celebrities, their relationships and extravagant Hello magazine weddings attract huge public and media interest. But in terms of stability, celebrities are poor role models. I
How have relationships REALLY fared during lockdown? Our brand new analysis of a June questionnaire (pp 83-85, 90) completed by 2,559 parents for the national
We launch our Marriage Week campaign, and the publication of the book Commit or Quit – The Two Year Rule and Other Rules for Romance,
New research by Marriage Foundation shows divorce rates in the first 15 years of marriage are falling across Europe – and the UK is leading
Using the same method used by Office for National Statistics (ONS) – but adjusting for the significant number of UK couples who marry overseas –
Despite significant policy efforts to encourage both parents into work, our analysis of new ONS data shows little reduction in one earner families across the
New analysis of data from up to 13,000 UK families show that a mum’s level of happiness has a direct effect on her children’s mental
A new report released today by Marriage Foundation, ahead of National Marriage Week (13-19 May), shows that lifetime divorce risk has risen from 28 per
Our analysis of new Office for National Statistics data suggests that only a little over half of all today’s teenagers will get married, in spite
As we transition our back catalogue of material to the format of our new site you can access it here.
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.
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