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
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
Valentine’s Day is traditionally a date when many couples take the plunge to get engaged. But what does the future hold for couples who get
Traditionally, January has seen a spike in the number of couples deciding to end their marriage, following a stressful festive period. However, new research released
UK divorce rates among newlyweds have dropped to their lowest levels in thirty years, new analysis has found. The proportion of couples divorcing after three
Mummy’s boys may be the butt of jokes and subject to name-calling, but they actually fare better in roughing out the challenges of teenage life
More men in the UK are holding out ‘to meet the right person’ before getting married than women, a new survey published today revealed. Thirty-five
Couples who plan their first pregnancy have a higher chance of staying together long-term than those who do not, a new study from Marriage Foundation
British adults whose parents were married at the time of their birth were 16 per cent less likely to ever receive benefits, a new study
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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