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
Over the past 35 years, nearly two million more children have been born into families that are breaking down as a result of the trend
Latest research from Marriage Foundation, a think tank dedicated to building stronger families, has found that the recipe for relationship success lies in making the
Overall, two thirds of women who get married and have children remain with the father for life. Among women who never marry, just one in
Latest data shows the UK has the highest rate of family breakdown in Western Europe. Figures calculated by Eurostat, the EU’s primary statistics body, and
Research from The Marriage Foundation reveals that 47 per cent of women and 48 per cent of men aged twenty will never marry. The report
ONS divorce data published today appears to show that divorce rates have fluctuated up and down over the past twenty years. However this “year of
Despite accounting for only one in five parents, unmarried couples are set to overtake married couples as the main source of family breakdown by the
Around a quarter of a million of couples are claiming lone parent benefits, while continuing to reap the benefits of a two-parent household. Over 240,000
A report from the leading think-tank, The Marriage Foundation, explodes the myth about a link between divorce and recession. Relationship charities have previously claimed that
• 45 per cent of young teenagers (aged 13-15 years old) are not living with both parents • Half of all family breakdown takes place
The Marriage Foundation think-tank has produced a report revealing that second marriages are more stable than first marriages, challenging the widely held belief that couples
A new report by The Marriage Foundation think-tank has shattered the common assumption that the divorce rate for all couples is higher than it was
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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