Married adults now less than half of the population

PRESS RELEASE … IMMEDIATE The latest population estimates from the Office for National Statistics show that the proportion who are married has fallen below half for the first time. Societies throughout history have encouraged marriage because they know it’s the most effective method for bonding men with the mothers of their future children. The psychology […]

Has ONS underestimated family breakdown?

Census data released today tell us the exact numbers of married, cohabiting and lone parent families in England & Wales in 2021. My analysis shows that of the 7.0 million households with dependent children under the age of 18, 55.9% were headed by a married couple, 17.3% by a cohabiting couple, and 26.9% by a […]

Marriage still on top – New ONS population stats for 2019 released

ONS has released new population estimates of marital status and living arrangement in  England & Wales from 2002 to 2019 Here’s what Marriage Foundation Research Director Harry Benson has to say: “The number of people who are married in England & Wales remains at over 23 million, close to the highest levels since 2002. Despite the slow […]