Marriage rate falls to lowest level for 100 years

FEWER people are getting married than at any time in more than 100 years.

A total of 232,990 couples tied the knot in 2008, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed yesterday.

That is down from 235,370 in 2007, and the lowest total since 1895.

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The marriage rate, which is calculated by the number of marriages per head of population, fell to its lowest level since records began in 1862, the ONS said.

In 2008, there were 21.8 men marrying per 1,000 unmarried adult men, down from 22.4 in 2007, and 19.6 women marrying per 1,000 unmarried women over 16, down from 20.2 in 2007.

The figures, which cover England and Wales, are likely to spark further debate about the decline of marriage.

Since 1981, the number of marriages conducted every year has fallen by a third.

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Resolution, a group of family lawyers, said the legal benefits of marriage should be extended to unmarried cohabiting couples.

Vice chairman David Allison said: "A smaller percentage of people got married in 2008 than in any year since records began and at the same time the number of couples living together outside of marriage is on the increase.

"Yet the majority of people don't understand that living together does not give them any financial protection should the relationship end, which leaves countless people vulnerable to financial hardship if their relationship breaks down."

A spokesman for the Church of England said: "Couples today see marriage as being the crown of their relationship, something to wait for, rather than a gateway to adulthood as it used to be.

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"We have found that marriage is regarded as a serious commitment and something people aspire to, even those already living together.

"Making a positive public decision to a committed, life-long relationship changes behaviour – especially for men."

The spokesman added: "While the share of religious weddings has gone down, the share of Church of England weddings has remained stable at 24 per cent.

Samantha Callan, chairman in residence of the Centre for Social Justice thinktank, which has campaigned for tax breaks on marriage, said most British people wanted to marry but many were prevented by poverty.

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"The British Household Panel Study found that 75 per cent of those under the age of 35 expected to marry, 80 per cent of those living together want to marry and close to 90 per cent of all young people want to marry," said Dr Callan.

"These figures prove that despite the Government claiming otherwise, young people want to marry, but face massive barriers, which increase the poorer you are."