Rate in Britain Hits Lowest Level Since 1862...

The number of people getting married in Britain has fallen to its lowest level since records began in 1862. For the first time ever, fewer than two in 100 women got married in a single year. In 2008 the marriage rate for women fell from two per cent to 1.96 per cent, less than half the rate 25 years ago.

The figures highlight how far out of favour marriage has fallen. From a peak in 1940, when 426,100 young couples—spurred on by the urgency of World War II—married for the first time, just 147,130 marriages in 2008 were first marriages for both spouses. In total, 228,204 marriages took place during 2008 in England and Wales.

The escalating cost of weddings and the failure of the Government to support the institution of marriage were among the factors blamed. But long-term changes in society, especially the increase in the number of women working and their desire to marry later in life, were also key factors.

The average age of women marrying for the first time has nearly hit the symbolic 30-year-old barrier, at 29.9, up from 29.8 during 2007. For men, the figure was 32.1 years, up from 32 the year before. Many observers expressed sadness at the statistics.

Dave Percival, a campaigner for marriage, said, “Living together and marriage are increasingly seen as the same by the public, yet the outcomes are radically different. Two thirds of all the first marriages in 2008 can be expected to last a lifetime. Less than 10 per cent of cohabiting relationships last even to their tenth anniversary”. The Telegraph. February 11. Family and Life.